Code Geass: The Miraculous Birthday
by Demons Anarchy of Pride
Summary: Since the day Britannia invaded Japan, Lelouch had thought his sister Nunnally and his friend Suzaku had died. He grew to despise war, and grew to loathe Britannia with all of his being. He vowed to eradicate war, and to destroy Britannia. It was only natural that he would be chosen to act as a Gundam Meister of Celestial Being.
1. The Gundam Meisters of Celestial Being

**Summary:** Since the day Britannia invaded Japan, Lelouch had thought his sister Nunnally and his friend Suzaku had died. He grew to despise war, and grew to loathe Britannia with all of his being. He vowed to eradicate war, and to destroy Britannia. It was only natural that he would be chosen to act as a Gundam Meister of Celestial Being.

Code Geass: The Miraculous Birthday

"Even Messiahs must create their own miracles." –Zero

War is natural in this world, it is an unstoppable being that advances forth, born from the hatred of human existence. It breeds only anger, loss, sadness, grief, and in the end, only more war. It is an endless cycle of hatred that could never be broken.

Japan, a neutral country, and the biggest manufacturer of Sakuradite, in the year of 2010, had come under the attack of Holy Britannian Empire, a giant behemoth that has already gained dominance over one third of the world. During the early stages of the invasion, Britannian had unveiled its latest weapon, which proved effective in the war.

The Autonomous Armored Knight: codenamed Knightmare Frame. Their incredible power proved effective, as Japan fell in less than a month. The people had been stripped of their rights, their culture, their history, and in the end... even their own name had been taken from them.

Area 11. A meager number had replaced the proud name of a proud country. The year is 2017, and even now, the flickers of war continue to burn. Currently, the three nations are at a standstill, each never gaining the upper hand. At one side is the Holy Britannian Empire, led by 98th Emperor Charles zi Britannia, and opposing them is the Chinese Federation and the European Union, dubbed the EU.

Yes, even now, the world continues to play a grand zero sum game. However, behind these flames comes a new, unknown force that challenges the very world itself. They have announced their ideals, and standing against them is the very world itself. They had declared to all those born and bred on Earth that they shall eliminate war from this world.

They simply call themselves... Celestial Being.

Play "Daybreak's Bells"

Artist: L'Arc-en-Ciel

~Music Playing~

The camera plays images of the invasion of Japan: Knightmares shooting past alleyways with rifles at the ready, the people cowering underneath windows and anything they can use to hide. When the piano plays, the camera shoots upward and shows the 0 Gundam with a beam saber at the ready, standing behind the orange tinted sky. The camera then plays out the Geass sequence, the title appearing afterwards.

~Nee konna katachi no deai shika nakatta no~

The camera shows Lelouch standing amidst the rubble of the ghettos, looking at the scene before turning sharply around, walking toward the blue Gundam, Exia, kneeling behind him.

~Kanashii ne~

As he moves past an alleyway, a girl with red hair, Kallen, comes out with Ohgi and Tamaki in their resistance uniforms, walking toward an abandoned building where a meeting is being held.

~Anata ni shinde mo ayamete hoshiku mo nai~

The scene shows a young Suzaku backing away from the kneeling form of Genbu Kururugi, his stomach stained red with blood with a knife sticking out. The screen plays out like an old film before showing an older Suzaku in his military uniform, performing a salute with the other soldiers that stand beside him.

~Onegai~

The screen briefly shows Nunnally with Sayoko, the Ashford Academy cast standing beside her in a field of flowers before Nunnally looks up in wonder as a shadow passes by alongside a gust of wind.

~Unmei sae nomikomare shizumisou na umi e to~

The camera shows the other Gundam Meisters in their respective places. Lockon stands over the graves of his parents and sister before walking away with a look of determination, passing his younger brother Lyle. Allelujah walks by Soma Peres in his casual clothes, the two not noticing each other, however when Allelujah passes by a glass window, Hallelujah grins evilly, learning at Soma. Tieria stands in an empty command center, looking at a screen before walking away, never faltering.

~Negai yo kaze no notte yoake no kane o narase yo~

The screen shows Exia, Kyrios, Dynames, and Virtue heading off into battle. Exia's feet grind against the ground as it twirls around, cutting three Sutherlands in half before the camera shows Lelouch glaring darkly at the fallen machines. It cuts over to Allelujah zooming over the Tokyo Settlement before Kyrios transforms and comes down, cutting a Sutherland in half. An explosion occurs, showing Kyrios standing in the crimson cloud menacingly.

~Tori no you ni My wishes over their airspace~

Dynames is seen sniping Sutherlands from the Saitama ghetto, Lockon grinning as he does so before the camera shows Virtue firing its beam cannon, evaporating every Sutherland in its path.

~Musuu no nami o koe asu e tachimukau anata o~

Lelouch is seen standing in front of Nunnally, a look of surprise over his face as the girl smiles tearfully, her hands overlapping his before another gust of wind shoots by, the flowers being wiped away and revealing a glass-like surface reflecting the azure sky.

~Mamoritamae My life I trade in for your pain~

The Ashford Academy cast is seen standing behind Nunnally, all of which with smiles on their faces before showing Cornelia and Euphemia alongside them, smiling at the scene in front of them. Guilford, Darlton, Jeremiah, and Villetta stand behind the two princesses quietly.

~Arasoi yo tomare~

In a span of a few seconds, Lockon is seen sitting atop Dynames' shoulder, giving a wink, Allelujah in the base of Kyrios' hand. His bangs part slightly, revealing his golden eye. The last quick image shows Tieria sitting in Virtue's cockpit, adjusting his glasses before looking fiercely into the camera.

~Mirai wa dare ni mo uchiotosenai~

The scene shows Lelouch tossing away his blue scarf into the air before the screen shows him in his Zero outfit, the Black Knights and the Gundam Meisters standing behind him with their respective Knightmares and Gundams standing behind them.

The final scene shows Zero's mask lying on a desk, Lelouch's scarf beside it alongside a cracked black King chess piece.

**Episode 1: The Gundam Meisters of Celestial Being**

Lelouch ran as fast as he possibly could, the smell of burning flesh stinging his nostrils and the ear-shattering screams ringing loudly in his ears. He could feel the sweat pouring down his face and his legs burning from all the running. It was almost as if he had been skinned alive and someone set fire to his exposed muscles.

He didn't dare look back at what was happening behind him. He didn't want to believe it, he refused to believe that his home, his own country had done something like this. Japan had done nothing to deserve this, so why were they invading? Had they done something to provoke Britannia? If so, what had they done? Lelouch and his sister, who was blind and crippled, were sent here to be used as nothing more but political hostages, and now, their worth was tossed aside.

He pushed everything away from his thoughts, ignoring the explosions trailing behind him as he went straight for the warehouse where Suzaku and Nunnally were at, waiting for him. If he could get there in time, they could get out of here and ignore everything, they could try and live as best they could, try to live blissfully unaware of the hell that had come in the form of giant machines.

Lelouch ducked into an alley when he saw a Knightmare shoot out from a corner, firing its rifle in the opposite direction of where Lelouch was, its back facing him. He used this opportunity to move undetected and evade the others, stopping briefly to take a quick breather. His hands were on his legs, sweat rolling down his body like a waterfall, and panting heavily with his chest heaving up and down.

He looked up, and his eyes widened in horror as he fell on his rear, screaming at the site. It was the corpse of a Japanese woman holding her child tightly, both of them charred and flames lapping away at her arms and legs. The smell of burning flesh invaded Lelouch's nostrils, and nearly caused him to vomit.

How could this have happened?

Why had this happened?

What did these people to deserve this?

What had Lelouch done to deserve this?

Was this God's way of punishing him? Should he have just kept his mouth shut and not barge into his father's throne room, demanding that justice be done and seek out his mother's killer? If he had done so, then what sort of life would wait for him and Nunnally? Would they be living as happily as they could, like how they were before any of this happened?

Lelouch stood as quickly as he could, shutting his eyes so tightly it actually hurt, his feet already moving and his muscles pushed to their limit as he ran past the corpse, offering a silent apology to the two before resuming his sprint towards the warehouse.

However, what awaited him was not a happy sight. As soon as he opened his eyes, they widened to the point where they threatened to pop out, tears beginning to form while his chin trembled. His knees buckled underneath him, and his legs fell to the ground. His arms hung loosely at his sides, wet streams cutting through the dust and grime that had collected on his face.

"No..." he whispered, almost pleading. "No, God, please no... This isn't..."

His voice became choked before his hands balled into fists and he angrily slammed them down on the concrete he sat on, his teeth grinding against each other harshly as he screamed out in agony.

The warehouse had been completely destroyed. Wooden beams were crooked, cloaked in flames as it was in the process of being burned to the ground. There was hardly anything left, all that sat there was nothing but a sea of flames that took everything away from him.

Suzaku and Nunnally... they were... they were...

"No... no, dammit, no!" Lelouch screamed out, banging his fists against the ground. "This can't be happening! Why?! Why did this have to happen?!"

Just then, a loud crash echoed behind him, causing the boy to leap to his feet and whirl around. A Knightmare had smashed through a building with a rifle in its hands, standing a few feet a ways from Lelouch, almost as if it were mimicking the reaper that had come to reap his soul.

Lelouch didn't feel fear.

Lelouch didn't feel sorrow.

Lelouch didn't feel sadness.

Lelouch felt anger. Standing in front of him was the reason, the reason for everything.

"It's because of you bastards..." Lelouch growled, slowly taking large steps towards the Knightmare, glaring down its muzzle with untold rage reflected clear in his purple eyes. "You're the reason... it's because of you that Suzaku and Nunnally are gone..."

"It's because of you that Japan is suffering..."

And that was when a defiant scream ripped out from his throat, almost like a roar that reverberated through the air. "YOU'RE WHY THIS WORLD IS SO TWISTED!"

The Knightmare fired off its gun, the bullets missing Lelouch, however they had blown the ground in front of him to bits, creating small dents. The impact was enough to send Lelouch skidding across the ground, his back grinding against the concrete harshly while his body tumbled around like a rag doll.

He managed to get back on all fours, his body aching everywhere while everything around him seemed to be nothing but a blur, a blotch of colors mixing together in water while his ears were ringing, the sound of bells echoing off harshly.

As his vision cleared, he regained his glare at the Knightmare, which had the muzzle pointed right at his position. His anger didn't fade away, and his fear didn't grow. Instead, it was his anger that grew.

Britannia... it was because of them... They were what was making so many people suffer! His country was enjoying-no, they were reveling in the chaos they were creating! They didn't give a damn about the suffering they were making these people go through! They just did this out of sheer boredom, they wanted everything for themselves as if like they were like a spoiled child that wanted everything this world had to offer!

"Damn you..." Lelouch cursed, struggling to get back on his feet, glaring at the ground out of self-loathing. How could he be so weak? How could he just sit here and wait for the damn monster to kill him like this?! "Damn you all!"

It was then that Lelouch heard the sound of an explosion echo in front of him, scraps of metal flying everywhere while a blast of hot air shot past him, blowing away at his clothes and hair. His head snapped up immediately to see the Knightmare replaced by a giant cloud of black and crimson.

What in the hell just happened?

Suddenly, the ringing in his ears had cleared up, and heard the faint sound of humming somewhere above him. His eyes looked up, and his mouth promptly fell open into a perfect 'o' while his eyes widened to the size of saucer, unable to speak or think. All he could do was look at the machine in awe.

It was unlike anything he had ever seen; in fact it looked like a piece of art. It stood in the air with a beautiful green light emanating from behind its back, and its body gleaming white. Its body was massive, easily towering over the Knightmares like a behemoth.

Lelouch was never religious, he never believed in God, however there were, at times, when he questioned if God had done things for a purpose. This whole ordeal made him belief that there was no God, for if there was, would he simply watch as his 'children' fell to the ground left and right? However, the machine that stood there behind the flowing green light and the ember-colored sky was probably the closest thing Lelouch had seen to a God.

This was his first encounter with the experimental Mobile Suit Weapon: codename Gundam.

Present Day, Seven Years Later

Billy Katagiri, the chief scientist regarding the progression in Knightmare technology, and member of the Camelot Unit, was very disappointed and awed at the same time, staring at the machine that was moving so fluidly one would think it was nothing but a body of water.

His awe came from the fact that the machine was able to defeat six unmanned Knightmares without getting a scratch, though the movements were a bit exaggerated and over-the-top in his opinion. His disappointment came from the design.

"So, this is the newest Sixth Generation." Billy said, eyeing the machine carefully as he studied it from the head down to the feet. "The Enact, huh?"

"Not even as good as the Flags, if you ask me." Billy blinked, looking over his shoulder before smiling warmly. Standing near him in the middle of the stairway was a young soldier wearing a blue military coat with the Britannia insignia stitched to his left shoulder. He looked rather handsome to many, with curly blonde hair and steely blue eyes. Billy himself wasn't so bad either, with brown hair tied back into a ponytail and a pair of glasses sitting at the bridge of his nose.

"Well, this is a surprise." Billy noted as the young man, Graham Aker, took a seat next to him. "Should one of the Goddess of Victory's trump cards be here?"

"You know as well as I do that Cornelia would never allow that." Graham laughed slightly before looking back at the Enact, a green colored Knightmare that, more or less, resembled the Fifth-Generation Knightmare Frame known as the Flag, with a tri-coned head with a green mark near the left side and a lance in its hand. "Besides, I wanted to see the new model. So, who's piloting it?"

Billy shrugged his shoulders with an innocent smile as he pointed at the rather flamboyant technique used by the Enact, moving left and right to avoid being destroyed with a flare of dramatics. "The so-called Ace of the Fourteenth Regiment. Patrick, I think his name was."

"And how about you, Katagiri?" Graham asked with a smirk, knowing full well what the man's answer would be. "What do you think of the Enact?"

Billy smirked back. "The color is unique, along with the weaponry, however the design is just a cheap knock-off of the Flag."

To their surprise, after the Enact destroyed the last of the unmanned Knightmares, the cockpit slid open. The pilot came out, wearing a green body suit with a black collar and black edgings, his hair colored pale crimson with a scowl plastered over his face. "Hey! I can hear you two, you bastards! Say that to my face, I dare ya!"

For a moment, the two were startled before Billy cracked up, holding his stomach. "W-well, at least, the hearing system has improved!"

"Target time reached, beginning the first phase of the mission. GN particle dispersal at normal levels."

Descending downward through the sky was probably the biggest Knightmare a person could lay eyes on. It's body was colored white, save for the blue torso and the black hands along with the red chin, a golden "v" on its head with glaring blue eyes and a large blade held in its right hand. Its defining feature, however, was the cone-shaped object on its back with a beautiful green light flowing out from it.

This was Exia, the first of four Mobile Suit Weapons, or rather, the Gundams.

Knightmare Frames were designed to stand at the height of at least five fully grown men, depending on the generation. They were always equipped with land spinners, wheels that allowed them to stride through areas easily as if they were on roller skates, and slash harkens, which were designed to pierce through even the thickest hulls of tanks and other Knightmares. The Glaston Knights, led by Prince Schneizel el Britannia and Cornelia li Britannia, used the Gloucesters, which were designed in the mid Sixth-Generation Knightmares. The Gloucesters were equipped with golden lances, which proved to be very effective.

However, all Knightmares had one flaw: they relied on the energy produced by their main energy core: Sakuradite. Before the invasion, Japan was the biggest manufacturer of Sakuradite metal, and it was because of this that people believed why Britannia chose to conquer Japan, armed to the teeth and going straight for the goal rather than deal with small fry. The difference between the might of Japan and the might of Britannia was terrifying.

However, Mobile Suit Weapons were another story. They were designed with specific metals that could withstand slash harkens, and as a defining feature, they lacked the weapon itself. They also lacked the land spinners, which could be found on just about any Knightmare, regardless of generation. Mobile Suit Weapons were also larger, however because of their performance capabilities and specs, there were very little people that could pilot such incredible machines. Britannia, despite all of its power and wealth, had little resources that could manufacture a Mobile Suit Weapon, and as a result, a small number, fewer than the people that could pilot it, were found during the invasion.

"Now entering the first phase." the pilot of Exia said in a cold, monotone voice as he stared ahead at the monitor, dark rings found underneath his emotionless eyes. He wore a blue pilot suit matching the color of Exia's torso with black edgings, specifically at the collar, shoulders, elbows, wrists, knees, and ankles. "Zero, in Exia...beginning the mission."

**~~~Code Geass: The Miraculous Birthday~~~**

"Sir, there's an unknown signal!"

Instantly, the commanding officer at the base for the time being snapped into the air and strut over near the one who gave him the information. Today was supposed to be rather simple, the unveiling of the newest Knightmare frame model, nothing really that fancy. Of course, like everything in life ever since Britannia conquered Area 11, things never went like the way they had planned. "Dammit all, I gave strict orders not to enter! Who is it?!"

"I don't know, sir." the soldier responded, looking confused as he punched in a few keys. "We can't contact the craft in question, and communications don't seem to be working!"

"Get me a visual!"

"Roger!"

Not five seconds later did something appear on the glass monitor in front of them. What they saw was truly mind-boggling, for it was a white machine descending downward through the sky at a steady pace. It was far too big to be a Knightmare, but even stranger than that was the cone-shaped object located on its back.

"What the hell is that?"

**~~~Code Geass: The Miraculous Birthday~~~**

"An unknown?" Patrick frowned, a hand at his earpiece before he slipped inside the Enact's cockpit. "Damn it, why now of all times?"

Meanwhile, in the observation stands, a few military officials, after either receiving a call on their mobile devices or receiving a message from another soldier, left and headed towards the command center. Graham was the one to notice this, and frowned, wondering what had the military in such a stink. Was something happening?

"Hey, what is that?" The blonde Knight blinked, a bystander's voice bringing him out of his thoughts and looking up to where the man was pointing. What he saw was beyond anything he had ever seen, as both he and Billy shot out of their seats with looks of awe and disbelief, watching a large machine descend gently down to the ground.

It was incredibly huge, three times bigger than a Sutherland in fact, with a gleaming white body and a blue torso, the head bearing a 'v'-shaped crest on its forehead with a metal plate, however the three features that struck out about it was the cone-shaped object on its back that was emitting a beautiful green light, the gleaming blade in its right hand, and the lack of land spinners.

Billy instantly knew what it was by its sheer size, and his jaw promptly fell to the ground. "A Mobile Weapon? They actually made one? I didn't realize they had such a large budget."

"Katagiri, I don't think it's with us..." Graham said, eyeing the machine intently as he studied it from head to toe. He looked to the corner of his eye to see a soldier in plane clothes using a standard issue communication receiver, however he was unable to establish a connection. "Wait, is it blocking communications?" he wondered briefly.

Patrick, on the other hand, was very irritated. When he learned that he would be the test pilot for the Enact, he was ecstatic. Why wouldn't they choose him after all? He was the Ace of the Fourteenth Regiment, led by Brigadier General Sabbath Harlow himself! And now, some nameless shmo thought he could take away his time to shine? And all because he had a bigger weapon than he did? "So, you the guy who's trying to mess things up, huh?" Patrick asked, a snarl forming as the cockpit closed with a hiss. "Who are you with? The EU? The Chinese Federation?" He paused for a while, then scoffed. "Doesn't matter, because you just made the wrong choice of your life! I'm the Ace of the Fourteenth Regiment, and you ain't getting out of here alive!"

Brandishing his MVS blade, the Enact charged forward with the intent to chop the Mobile Weapon down to size. Of course, the idiot had no idea just how vast the difference was between a machine that was capable of destroying an entire army by itself and a machine that was useful for eliminating trash units like Sutherlands.

Patrick could only watch in disbelief as the Mobile Weapon, with such grace and speed that almost seemed unreal, sliced off the Enact's arm as if it were a hot knife cutting through butter. Before he could retaliate, however, he found that his right leg had been lopped off clean as the machine twirled around and placed itself into the air, swinging its blade and finally delivering the final blow, the head removed from the body as if the Mobile Weapon was an executioner.

Graham and Billy stared on with large eyes, their bodies refusing to move from their seats while many others left. The blonde developed a large grin as he took as passing soldier's binoculars from his waist and placed them over his eyes, the lens aimed at the machine. "Incredible..." he couldn't help but breathe out, a newfound feeling beginning to form in his chest before he stopped at the forehead, seeing something inscribed on the plate on its forehead. "Gun...dam... Is that the name of the Mobile Weapon, or..."

Once again, he and Billy were in total shock as the machine whirled around once the Enact had fallen, but what surprised them was the fact that it was lifting itself up off the ground without the aid of slash harkens, and the familiar green light from earlier emerging out to the world.

"Wait, how is it able to fly?" Billy wondered curiously, a hand coming to his chin. "The Float System Prince Schneizel is developing isn't complete yet, so how is it...?" He looked at Graham, about to ask him for his input when he noticed the look on his face. "Oh dear, someone's love struck."

"Oh, you have no idea, Katagiri..."

**~~~Code Geass: The Miraculous Birthday~~~**

"Kyrios to catapult deck, Kyrios to catapult deck!"

In an unknown location, a small ship was flying above with a launching bay open, revealing a strange orange jet fighter on the flight path. Of course, this was no ordinary jet, as it was, in truth, the same as the Exia, a Mobile Weapon. This was among the first of machines capable of transforming, similar to the Tristan that was in possession of the Knight of Three, Gino Weinberg. The pilot, a young man with black hair that covered the right half of his face, sighed heavily as he slipped on a helmet matching his orange suit. "Well, this is what you wanted, right Hallelujah?" the man asked to no one in particular, as if speaking to a phantom. "A real fight... but this far too depressing for me."

"Launch operations passed over to Allelujah Haptism." A familiar voice came over the com-link, meaning that the mission would begin the moment Kyrios left the ship, the Ptolemy. "Second Phase begins shortly after First Phase has been cleared."

"Roger that." Allelujah nodded before taking a deep breath, and glaring hard out past the monitor. "Kyrios, Allelujah Haptism, heading out!"

With that said, the second Gundam shot out with speed far surpassing that of any jet fighter, cutting through the blackness around him. Meanwhile, in the ship, several people on board were enjoying the scene that was playing out in front of them, appearing on a few of their monitors. "So, you think Zero's got his end done and over with?" one of the crew members, a girl with wavy light brown hair and a cheery smile, asked, looking over her shoulder.

"If he hasn't, then I guess we're all screwed." Another member, equally as young as the girl with dark hair swept back, chuckled. "Still, you have to admit, what he did to that poor Enact was terrible. He really has it out for Britannia, doesn't he?"

"Zero's personality profile suggests that he believes that the only way to truly eliminate war is if we eliminate Britannia." A girl with pink hair stated in a deadpan tone. "That is why he isn't holding back against any of them, regardless if they are Honorary Britannians or full bloods."

"Which is why that boy needs to loosen up." The group looked over to see a woman entering the room with a green bottle in her hand. Like all of them, she wore a white space suit with a life support unit on her back, and a helmet in one hand. She was probably the oldest out of everyone in the room; her defining feature was her dark red hair. "How's everything going?"

"Second Phase will begin shortly." The pink haired girl told her before realizing what was inside the bottle. "Um, Miss Sumeragi... is that alcohol?"

"What?" a boy with brown hair said, eyes wide and whirling around to face the woman from his seat. "B-but we're on a mission!"

"Oh, lighten up..." Sumeragi told him with a smirk before taking her seat, which was at the center of the room. "After all, today's our big debut, so let's do this in style..."

Lasse grinned from ear to ear as he saw Exia already wreaking havoc upon the military base, cutting down Sutherlands and tanks left and right. "Amen to that."

Sumeragi giggled as she took a swig of her favorite beverage before her face became serious, staring at the machines that were already making an impact on the very world.

"Here come the Gundam Meisters..." she whispered in a low voice, though it was loud enough for everyone to hear it, and each and every one of them had similar looks. "...of Celestial Being."

**~~~Code Geass: The Miraculous Birthday~~~**

Meanwhile, at the Chinese Federation, a lavish celebration was being held at the forbidden Jade Palace, where the Empress was located with her ever-loyal guard Li Xingke. The Empress was very young for her age, with snow-white hair with two strands falling to either side of her face, and soft red eyes. Li was a young man with black hair tied back into a ponytail, wearing formal clothes, as requested by the Empress Tianzi. In all honesty, however, it felt rather constricting.

If there was one thing about Li people knew about, it was his cautious behavior. Ever since he had been saved, he made it his job to protect and guard her at all times with at least one Loyalist at the ready, someone who shared his ideals and didn't support those eunuch bastards. Currently, his attention was at two people, both of which of the same nationality as he was. One was like him: observant and aware with a lean build, his posture poise as if expecting any attack at any time, wearing a blue shirt tucked in neatly into the slacks, his black hair combed to the right and hiding his forehead. The woman standing next to him, however, caught his attention.

He recognized her as Wong Liu Mei, the only remaining heir to the Liu Mei bloodline, and as such, she was given all of their wealth and treasures, some of which the eunuchs had been dying to get their hands on. Unfortunately, she donated all the money to an unknown benefactor, and when questioned about it, she responded with "someone who will put it to good use."

Li didn't understand why someone like Wong Liu Mei would be attending a rather boorish party such as this. It was, more a less, a front devised by the eunuchs to scout potential supporters, some of which already speaking with various guests of illustrious and rich background. It made the warrior sick to his stomach just seeing them trying to increase their influence.

"Xingke?" Li blinked, snapping out of his reverie before looking at his master, who was staring at him with a small smile on her face. "Who were you looking at?"

"No one, your highness." Li waved it off before looking back at the Liu Mei heiress. "Just someone who seems rather... out of place."

"Do you mean Lady Liu Mei?" Empress Tianzi asked, giggling. "Don't tell me you developed a crush on her, Xingke?"

"Heavens, no." the man shook his head with a wistful smile on his face. He never once got tired of Tianzi's attempts to try and cheer him up, steering him away from any morbid thoughts. "It's just... this party was something the high eunuchs made, so it is a wonder why someone who belongs to such high status would be attending. She is well known for her dislike of nobility, especially those that promote war."

"Such as Britannia, you mean?" Empress Tianzi asked sadly, eyes drooping. Li nodded grimly, repressing a scowl at the very mention of the accursed name of the country that sought to oppress them. He didn't know why they were invading, other than that they were after the sacred land hidden away deep within the land, something that no one within the Federation could allow them to have. "I wish all this fighting would stop."

Li silently agreed, turning his attention back towards the guests when he saw a soldier walking toward him with a grim look on his face. "What is it?" he asked, eyes narrowing. The man gulped slightly, leaning forward with a hand hiding his mouth as he whispered the information he was tasked to deliver to the warrior.

Li's eyes widened before he nodded, turning to the Empress and delivering her a bow. "Forgive me, your highness, but I must be going." He said regrettably. "There is a matter that requires my attention." Tianzi looked at him in worry, thinking of what he knew what the matter was about before she gave him her consent. With that, he turned sharply on his heel and walked with the soldier, a few others following suit.

He was absorbed in the matter at hand that he failed to see the strange smile on Wong Liu Mei's face as she observed them from afar. "It would appear that Ms. Sumeragi's forecast was very accurate..." she murmured to herself before taking a sip of her champagne.

"Mistress, should we be leave as well?" her servant asked her, though not a hint of concern was evident in his voice.

Wong Liu Mei shook her head. "No. I wish to see their power for myself..."

**~~~Code Geass: The Miraculous Birthday~~~**

"Can you hear it, Ribbons?"

Somewhere else, in a luxury suite hotel room, two men sat at the balcony, one with a wine glass in hand while the other looked at the azure sky with a look of wonder. The first man was older with reddish brown hair tied back, a strange whimsical smile on his face while dressed fashionably with a red suit and a black tie around his neck, his left leg crossed over the right knee and his right hand resting on the armchair. The other was a young man with light green hair and strange purple eyes, wearing a traditional outfit with a satin white top over a baggy gray shirt, a black collar around his neck.

"It is the sound..." Alejandro Corner said to Ribbons Almark as he raised his wine glass to the high heavens. "Of the reformation of humanity."

**~~~Code Geass: The Miraculous Birthday~~~**

"Exia, eliminating the targets."

Zero was truly, for all intents and purposes, worthy of his new moniker as the White Devil as Exia began to tear Sutherlands, Glasgows, and tanks left and right with only a single blade alone. The first phase of the mission had been complete, which was to determine the strength of the Enact. The second phase was to eliminate the enemy forces at Base Heaven-Four. According to the tactical forecast provided by Sumeragi Lee Noriega, additional Knightmares would be stationed in an underground reserve tunnel.

The problem with these additional forces was that it violated the rules regarding each Area having a limited amount of power unless they were needed during times of national crisis, such as a rebellion on the scales of which the world had never seen before. He once planned of doing just that, however he met Celestial Being, and he gained the means to destroy Britannia.

However, while Celestial Being's goal was noble, eradicating war from this world, it was a pipe dream at best... for war and Britannia walk hand in hand. If you wish to eliminate war from this world, you must destroy Britannia. So long as Britannia exist, war will exist. This was Zero's reasoning.

Which was why he was going to enjoy tearing them apart. Exia cut through the torso of a nearby Sutherland, thus destroying it instantly. However, Zero was careless and wasn't watching his blind spot, a Glasgow armed with a rocket launcher. It wouldn't do much damage thanks to the Gundanium alloy that made up the armor of the Mobile Weapon, however the Solar Reactor was another story. There were some parts that were impossible to replace, for GN Drive tech was few in number.

Thankfully, however, Zero was not alone as a pink stream of light pierced through the cockpit of the Glasgow. Zero didn't even have to guess who was providing him back up, as he could recognize such marksmanship anywhere. "Lockon Stratos..."

**~~~Code Geass: The Miraculous Birthday~~~**

"That's a bit one too many, eh Zero?"

Lockon Stratos, the sniper of the Meisters, was probably one of the oldest in the group. His chocolate brown hair fell down to the collar of his pilot suit, which was colored green instead of blue or orange. In his hands was the targeting system that was built into his Gundam, as its primary function was just that: sniping from afar.

Gundam Dynames had a white body like all the other Gundams, except instead of orange or blue, it had a green torso and helmet with the trademark golden 'v' on the forehead, two cloak-like appendages on either side of its body. It was kneeling on the ground in a position that was normal for trained snipers or Olympic marksmen. Its two eye-catching features were the long sniper-rifle in its hands, and the blue scope that covered it eyes, granting it the appearance of a Cyclops.

"Too much! Too much!" Lockon looked down at his little partner, which was a small orange ball by the name of Haro. For some strange reason, it had two circular ears that 'flopped' around, and it also helped it fly about while in space. "Help Zero! Help Zero!"

Lockon laughed as he took up arms again with a large smile on his face, proclaiming to the very world itself: "Lockon Stratos, targeted and firing!"

And with the squeeze of the trigger, another Sutherland fell at the hand of the man who would snipe God from his throne.

**~~~Code Geass: The Miraculous Birthday~~~**

Li had to admit, these Purist terrorists had really come prepared and armed to the teeth.

Earlier, he had reached the hangar bay to see several soldiers scrambling to enter their Gun-Ru's. They had just received word about radical terrorists entering the forbidden palace grounds in stolen Sutherlands, most likely the rogue Purist faction. In a way, their actions was justified: except their anger was placed on the Empress rather than the high eunuchs, due to the fact that they ran the Federation more than she ever did.

"Damn Britannian scum!" one of Li's fellow comrades spat venomously. "How dare they!"

Li knew what he was talking about. About a few weeks prior to the lavish ball that was being held right about now, Britannian forces had tried to invade the mainland, but were repelled by an unknown force. Now the warrior had confirmation who drove them back, however what worried him was the equipment they were carrying.

There were six Sutherlands in all, and with the exception of one, each was equipped with an automatic assault rifle. The last had some kind of missile launcher attacked to its back, probably the main unit meant for bombarding the palace upon reaching firing range. "General Li, how should we proceed?" Xang Dau, one of Li's subordinates, inquired curiously, his Gun-Ru practically bouncing to take the shot.

Li closed his eyes and laid out the plan carefully within his mind. There were nine Gun-Ru's on their side, and six Sutherlands on the Purists'. They could probably take out two or three, cutting their forces down by half if the main unit didn't open fire on them. At this range, they could take out the main unit, however they would risk alerting the enemy of their presence and scramble, thus making it harder for them to deal with.

He went for the safest option. "Two will circle around back and stop their escape. Two will flank them on the West and East side. Three will attack from the front and act as a diversion, while the remaining units will sneak around to destroy the main unit."

"Sounds good to me." Xang agreed, the Gun-Rus already moving into position and dashing around the buildings through the route Li had laid out for them on their monitor, the IFF signals from the Sutherlands pinpointing their movement perfectly.

Xang and Li moved in their outlaid routes, moving to engage the enemy. He estimated at least three to five minutes before the firefight would begin. During the trip, he could feel the hairs on his neck standing up straight, and a feeling gnawing at him from the back of his mind. It was a natural feeling for someone who had honed their senses on the battlefield for so long, however he still couldn't help but wonder what he was expecting. Was something about to happen during this fight? Would some unknown force intervene and do their work for them? Would they fail to defeat the Purists and fail to protect the Empress?

Li shook his head, pushing such morbid thoughts out of his mind before realizing that there was something strange on the monitor. "What the..."

**~~~Code Geass: The Miraculous Birthday~~~**

Allelujah could feel his other grinning at the sight of the wrecked Sutherlands that Kyrios had shot down in a single strike run. He could hear the whispers entering his ears with such a sickly sweet tone, telling him how amazing the carnage he was wreaking was. He ignored them, of course, focusing on his mission as Kyrios maneuvered back around and went straight back, the winged Gundam easily evading the streams of bullets. "Kyrios, eliminating the target."

A squeeze of the trigger was all it took to destroy two more Sutherlands, and crippling a third. Allelujah sighed in depression as he looked at the monitor, seeing two remaining Sutherlands on his screen. "80% of enemy forces are destroyed. The rest is up to you, Tieria."

"Roger that," came the reply from the ever-cool Gundam Meister. Even from where he was, Allelujah could see Virtue hovering in the air with its GN Cannon armed and ready, the muzzle aimed at the remaining Sutherlands. Allelujah had to give them credit, they were dedicated, at the very least.

Out of all the Gundams, Virtue was arguably the shortest, but it made up for it with its sheer firepower and 'special' function. It possessed a black torso with bulky armor, two large beam cannons located on its shoulders. However, in truth, this was nothing but a shell, the Virtue Gundam nothing but a mask to hide the special weapon Celestial Being had designed, on the chance they would fight rogue Meisters.

As the Perfect Super Soldier moved his way back to the rendezvous point, seeing as his part in this mission was complete, he felt his right eye burn slightly. "Even now, you try to torment me..." Allelujah growled harshly, the grip on the controls becoming equal to a vice grip. "Damn you..."

**~~~Code Geass: The Miraculous Birthday~~~**

"Enemy reinforcements confirmed." Zero stated monotonously as Exia leaped into the air, pushing the thrusters to their limit with the Solar Reactor giving it an extra boost. "It appears Ms. Sumeragi's tactical forecast was correct."

Ten Sutherlands, eight Glasgows, and fifteen tanks...

Those were small numbers compared to the simulator training sessions Zero was put through. It would be simple, cut down the Glasgows and cripple the Sutherlands before taking out the tanks, which were likely loaded with special artillery. These days, tanks had to be outfitted with shells that were designed for the soul purpose of breaching the armor of a Knightmare. Though they couldn't deal too much damage against a Mobile Weapon, especially Exia, they were a threat that needed to be taken care of.

With Lockon providing covering fire, Exia brought down its GN Sword, cleaving the first Glasgow in half.

One Glasgow destroyed. Seven left.

Three Sutherlands tried to flank him from the back, however streams of pink light shot them down. One struck a land spinner, sending it tumbling down and the cockpit smacking against a warehouse, knocking the Devicer out instantly. Another pierced the second Sutherland's arm, blowing it away and leaving it vulnerable for Exia to tear its torso off, the two remains flying past either side of him. Using the newfound momentum, Zero whirled the body around and spun Exia around on its heel, the blade grinding against the ground before it took off the last Sutherland's head, providing a window of opportunity for Lockon to blast the leg units off, thus rendering the unit inoperable.

Three Sutherlands destroyed. Seven left.

The Glasgows seemed to have taken the deaths of their fallen comrades wisely and hanged back, shooting bullet after bullet against the White Devil. However, it was useless against the GN Particle Field. It was a useful feature provided by the Solar Reactor, repelling non-GN weapons and beam armaments. It proved useful at times, this being one of them.

Before any of the Devicers had a chance to blink at the strange green orb that enclosed the Mobile Weapon, Exia shot forward at maximum, its free hand whipping something out from its hip. To their horror, it was a blade with a pink light and a white handle. One could easily recognize it as a beam saber, a fundamental weapon used by Mobile Weapons.

And they were about to find out why Exia was granted the nickname "Seven Swords."

As if dancing through the air itself, Exia cut down Glasgow after Glasgow in a fluid motion, even more brilliant than the Enact. Lockon whistled over the com-link at the sight, as if he were watching a scene from an action movie he saw with his brother. "Well, he certainly has some flare, doesn't he Haro?" he asked his mechanical partner, who responded with the flap of his ears and the repeat of "Haro Haro! Haro Haro!"

As soon as the second to last Glasgow fell, a Sutherland charged out from behind Exia with a Stun Tonfa at the ready. However, this would prove to be it's undoing, as the beam saber impaled its chest and poked out through the cockpit. It was being held in an underhand fashion, the blade barely grazing up against Exia's armor despite the machine's back facing the Sutherland.

With a quick yank, the Sutherland fell back and exploded. Exia slipped the beam saber back on its hip before looking at the tanks, which were now retreating as quickly as possible. However, it would all be for nothing, as Lockon sniped each one down with skills unrivalled.

"All enemy units, confirmed eliminated." Zero said at last with satisfaction showing in his orbs for the first time since the mission began as he controlled Exia to head to the rendezvous point for him and Lockon.

Seven Glasgows, seven Sutherlands, and fifteen Tanks destroyed.

"Mission complete."

**~~~Code Geass: The Miraculous Birthday~~~**

In Area 11, news regarding the exploits of the newly revealed Mobile Suit Weapons was spreading like wildfire amongst the people, especially over at Ashford Academy. Unlike most Britannian schools, this allowed Numbers to participate as well, however their history, in the eyes of Britannia, was alerted greatly, and thus many fights between the Numbers and the teachers broke out often, becoming an everyday part of life. Among the numbers were two Honorary Britannians, both of which on either side of a girl from Area 12.

The boy on the left looked the youngest with neatly combed brown hair, wearing a blue v-neck knitted sweater over a buttoned shirt and brown khaki slacks, a book bag slung over his shoulder while the boy on the right looked a year older, his hair messy as if he hadn't brushed it this morning. Unlike the girl and boy, he wore the standard Ashford Academy uniform, which was black with gold trims. The girl had a different face from the students, having long blonde hair and bright eyes, wearing a pink short sleeved shirt with a pair of slim-fitting blue shorts, her bag in her hands.

They were Saji Crossroad, Suzaku Kururugi, and Louis Halevy, otherwise known as the "Number Trio" by the other students. Suzaku and Saji were Japanese, or more aptly put these days "Elevens", while Louise was a "Twelve", but she was also half-Britannian, and the Halevy family well-known for its wealth and influence.

According to a rumor going around, Saji and Louis were lovers, which had spiraled out of control until Suzaku stepped in. Since then, the two were grateful, though Louis insisted that she was Saji's girlfriend, much to the boy's dismay.

As they walked down the hallway to their English class, Saji noticed a large crowd of people over by the cafeteria huddled together. "Huh?" Louis looked at the sight with interest and walked over to the group with Saji following. Now that they were closer, Suzaku saw that they were watching a recent news report regarding today. "What's going on?"

One of the students, who Suzaku recognized as Rivalz Cardemonde, a fellow member from Student Council, turned away from the TV. "They say there was this attempt on the forbidden palace over by the Chinese Federation." He said, waving his arm about for emphasize before giving them a good view. "They say the terrorists had stolen Britannian Knightmares, but some unknown guy stopped 'em."

"Unknown?" Suzaku frowned, looking at the screen. They were showing what was probably the strangest Knightmare they had seen, in fact since they were students, it was their first time seeing it. It wasn't very big considering the camera angle and distance, but Suzaku noted that it had bulky white armor with a large weapon, probably a cannon, in its arms. However, what interested him was the flowing green light that emanated from its back. "What sort of Knightmare is that?"

"Is it from the EU, do you think?" Louis offered, though she received a shake of the head from Saji. "Why not?"

"Because there wouldn't be anything to gain from it." The brains of the outfit said, trying to explain it to his 'girlfriend'. "The European Union hates Britannia as much as any other Number, but they have a lot of pride in themselves. They wouldn't even think of helping the Federation."

"Yeah, but I've never seen anything like that before." Suzaku noted aloud, staring at the image intently. "What kind of Knightmare is it? And who does it belong to?"

His answer came when the news anchor reappeared with an image behind her, showing an well-aged old man sitting in a chair with both hands on a cane, wearing the most expensive-looking suit Suzaku had ever seen. His head was mostly bald, save for the remnants of black hair that were groomed to the sides of his head, and the monocle on his left eye. His prominent feature was the sharp beard that grew on his chin, granting him a noble air about him. "Ladies and gentlemen, the image we showed you was the unknown Knightmare that prevented the attack on Empress Tianzi and her party's guests."

"How did they even get news in the Federation anyway?" Louis grumbled, though no one heard her.

"A little under an hour ago, we received a video from the group the claims to be responsible for the prevention of the terrorist attack. The video is unedited for your eyes."

And then the image of the old man blew up, covering the entire screen. When he spoke, Suzaku could feel how charismatic the man sounded, speaking with untold conviction and faith in his words. "I would like to address this statement to every single human being born and raised on Earth." The man stated, his voice calm, clear, cool, and full of strength. Even though he had only spoken a few words, this man already spellbound everyone in the room. It was almost like he had the entire world in the palm of his hand. "We call ourselves simply Celestial being. We are a private armed organization in possession of the Mobile Weapon Gundam."

'Gundam...' Suzaku thought, recalling the white Knightmare that was shown earlier.

"The main objective of Celestial Being's activities is to completely eliminate acts of war from this world." The man continued, his eyes blazing with righteous will and passion. Whoever this man was, he was an incredible motivational speaker. "We do not act for our own benefit or for personal gain. We have chosen to intervene for the greatest goal of all to rid ourselves of the scourge of war. As of this moment I make this declaration to all humanity.

Territory...

Religion...

Energy...

No matter what the reason or excuse if there is an evident act of war being carried out, we will commence intervention with our force."

"But, wait..." Louis folded her arms, tilting her head in confusion. "They're fighting against war with violence, so... aren't they contradicting themselves?"

"Any country, organization, or corporation that promotes war will also be a legitimate target for our intervention. We simply call ourselves Celestial Being. We are an armed organization that was established to eliminate all acts of war from this world. I repeat..."

**~~~Code Geass: The Miraculous Birthday~~~**

At the main capital of the Britannian homeland of Pendragon, several princes and princesses, with even the Knights of the Round present, were watching the declaration issued by the man leading Celestial Being. Among those present was Second Prince Schneizel el Britannia, third prince Clovis la Britannia, second princess Cornelia li Britannia, and third princess Euphemia li Britannia. The Knights of the Round that stood at their side were Gino Weinberg, Bismarck Waldstein, Anya Elstheim, and Nonnete Eneargem.

"Gotta give these guys credit..." Gino whistled, arms folded as he watched the man speak like a motivational worker of untold proportions. "They do things in style. But, man, did you see that thing? I'd kill to fight that!"

"Calm yourself, Knight of Three." The Knight of One reprimanded the younger boy calmly, though if one looked closely, they could see the anticipation of battle burning in his right eye. "We shall face these new enemies of Britannia soon enough."

"They want to solve war with more war..." Euphemia said sadly, her hands overlapping each other and tightening while Cornelia and Schneizel looked intrigued by these new weapons after hearing their intentions.

**~~~Code Geass: The Miraculous Birthday~~~**

Back at Area 11, specifically at the base of the resistance cell known as the Japan Liberation Front, several members looked at the monitor in worry after hearing the intentions of this new group calling themselves Celestial Being. However, five in particular were actually looking with curiosity and anticipation. One was a young woman with chin-length brown hair, slight older than the youth with the glasses. The two oldest looking men stood beside their leader, one slightly pudgy with white hair while the other bore a scar on his face and his hair slicked back.

Their leader, who's face was staunch and stoic, merely looked at the screen while sitting in a lotus position, his sword laying on his lap. "They're claiming responsibility?" Kyoshiro Tohdoh the Miracle Worker asked. "Hmph..."

**~~~Code Geass: The Miraculous Birthday~~~**

"So, you have finally returned, have you my son?"

"Very well then. Let us see who shall change this rotten world. You, who wish to make a world where war does not exist, and me, who wishes to make a world without lies..."

**~~~Code Geass: The Miraculous Birthday~~~**

As the message played out through the entire world, two people stopped and looked up at the monitor, looking at the man addressing the entire world. "Wait, that man..." one of the two said, recognizing the man from somewhere. It was a woman in her early twenties wearing a blue-buttoned shirt and tight white jeans, a bag slung over her shoulder. Standing next to her was a man in his late thirties with blonde hair tied back, wearing a black designers jacket over a red shirt with a pair of black khaki slacks. While the woman, Kinue Crossroad, seemed interested in the message the man was spreading, her partner, Diethard Reed, looked on with awe-struck eyes.

It was as if the world was on the verge of a new era. A giant grin spread across his face, the words of the leader of this new group, this Celestial Being, playing over and over in his ears.

**~~~Code Geass: The Miraculous Birthday~~~**

The Kouzuki resistance cell looked at the television, each with different expressions. Some looked worried about this group's goals, others wondering if they were truly set on this path. However, only one of them, a girl with fiery red hair and sapphire blue eyes, looked amazed by this group's actions and declaration. 'I wonder what Naoto would say to this, if he were still alive...' Kallen Kouzuki wondered. She couldn't help but wonder who the pilots of these Gundam weapons were like...

**~~~Code Geass: The Miraculous Birthday~~~**

"Well, this is the point of no return, huh?" Lockon asked Zero as he came out from his cockpit, landing on his feet without the aid of the stepladder provided by the Mobile Weapon. No matter how many times he looked at him, Lockon knew that he was just too young for this sort of thing, and yet at the same time, he pitied the boy. In a way, they were the same to a certain extent.

They had both lost what was precious to them. Though Lockon had somehow managed to move on, Zero didn't. The proof was reflected in those dead eyes that held burning hatred and unwavering conviction. "Still, this is one hell of a mess we've gotten ourselves into. I mean, we just picked a fight with the whole world."

"And that's why we'll change this twisted world." Zero said with his cold voice. Lockon looked at him, and grimaced. He was so young, and yet he was willing to take a life. Still, he had to admit, with the proper grooming and clothes, Zero could be the biggest heartthrob on the face of this planet. His black hair covered his forehead, reaching down to the collar of his suit while the bangs fell somewhat over his rich purple eyes.

"Because..." Zero, who was known as Lelouch vi Britannia, stated to his comrade with fierce determination that burned brightly in his violet orbs. "We are the Gundam Meisters of Celestial Being."

**Turn 1...END**

**The world is on the verge of change, and the one who shall change it stands at the crossroads. Will he revel in his hatred for his former home? Or will he cast it aside to free this world from its own twistedness?**

**Next time, The Crimson Lotus of Japan**

**He is Zero, and he shall bring this world to its very knees...**


	2. The Crimson Lotus of Japan

**Summary:** Since the day Britannia invaded Japan, Lelouch had thought his sister Nunnally and his friend Suzaku had died. He grew to despise war, and grew to loathe Britannia with all of his being. He vowed to eradicate war, and to destroy Britannia. It was only natural that he would be chosen to act as a Gundam Meister of Celestial Being.

Code Geass: The Miraculous Birthday

"All men... are not created equal." –Charles zi Britannia

War is natural in this world, it is an unstoppable being that advances forth, born from the hatred of human existence. It breeds only anger, loss, sadness, grief, and in the end, only more war. It is an endless cycle of hatred that could never be broken.

Japan, a neutral country, and the biggest manufacturer of Sakuradite, in the year of 2010, had come under the attack of Holy Britannian Empire, a giant behemoth that has already gained dominance over one third of the world. During the early stages of the invasion, Britannian had unveiled its latest weapon, which proved effective in the war.

The Autonomous Armored Knight: codenamed Knightmare Frame. Their incredible power proved effective, as Japan fell in less than a month. The people had been stripped of their rights, their culture, their history, and in the end... even their own name had been taken from them.

Area 11. A meager number had replaced the proud name of a proud country. The year is 2017, and even now, the flickers of war continue to burn. Currently, the three nations are at a standstill, each never gaining the upper hand. At one side is the Holy Britannian Empire, led by 98th Emperor Charles zi Britannia, and opposing them is the Chinese Federation and the European Union, dubbed the EU.

Yes, even now, the world continues to play a grand zero sum game. However, behind these flames comes a new, unknown force that challenges the very world itself. They have announced their ideals, and standing against them is the very world itself. They had declared to all those born and bred on Earth that they shall eliminate war from this world.

They simply call themselves... Celestial Being.

Play "Daybreak's Bells"

Artist: L'Arc-en-Ciel

~Music Playing~

The camera plays images of the invasion of Japan: Knightmares shooting past alleyways with rifles at the ready, the people cowering underneath windows and anything they can use to hide. When the piano plays, the camera shoots upward and shows the 0 Gundam with a beam saber at the ready, standing behind the orange tinted sky. The camera then plays out the Geass sequence, the title appearing afterwards.

~Nee konna katachi no deai shika nakatta no~

The camera shows Lelouch standing amidst the rubble of the ghettos, looking at the scene before turning sharply around, walking toward the blue Gundam, Exia, kneeling behind him.

~Kanashii ne~

As he moves past an alleyway, a girl with red hair, Kallen, comes out with Ohgi and Tamaki in their resistance uniforms, walking toward an abandoned building where a meeting is being held.

~Anata ni shinde mo ayamete hoshiku mo nai~

The scene shows a young Suzaku backing away from the kneeling form of Genbu Kururugi, his stomach stained red with blood with a knife sticking out. The screen plays out like an old film before showing an older Suzaku in his military uniform, performing a salute with the other soldiers that stand beside him.

~Onegai~

The screen briefly shows Nunnally with Sayoko, the Ashford Academy cast standing beside her in a field of flowers before Nunnally looks up in wonder as a shadow passes by alongside a gust of wind.

~Unmei sae nomikomare shizumisou na umi e to~

The camera shows the other Gundam Meisters in their respective places. Lockon stands over the graves of his parents and sister before walking away with a look of determination, passing his younger brother Lyle. Allelujah walks by Soma Peres in his casual clothes, the two not noticing each other, however when Allelujah passes by a glass window, Hallelujah grins evilly, learning at Soma. Tieria stands in an empty command center, looking at a screen before walking away, never faltering.

~Negai yo kaze no notte yoake no kane o narase yo~

The screen shows Exia, Kyrios, Dynames, and Virtue heading off into battle. Exia's feet grind against the ground as it twirls around, cutting three Sutherlands in half before the camera shows Lelouch glaring darkly at the fallen machines. It cuts over to Allelujah zooming over the Tokyo Settlement before Kyrios transforms and comes down, cutting a Sutherland in half. An explosion occurs, showing Kyrios standing in the crimson cloud menacingly.

~Tori no you ni My wishes over their airspace~

Dynames is seen sniping Sutherlands from the Saitama ghetto, Lockon grinning as he does so before the camera shows Virtue firing its beam cannon, evaporating every Sutherland in its path.

~Musuu no nami o koe asu e tachimukau anata o~

Lelouch is seen standing in front of Nunnally, a look of surprise over his face as the girl smiles tearfully, her hands overlapping his before another gust of wind shoots by, the flowers being wiped away and revealing a glass-like surface reflecting the azure sky.

~Mamoritamae My life I trade in for your pain~

The Ashford Academy cast is seen standing behind Nunnally, all of which with smiles on their faces before showing Cornelia and Euphemia alongside them, smiling at the scene in front of them. Guilford, Darlton, Jeremiah, and Villetta stand behind the two princesses quietly.

~Arasoi yo tomare~

In a span of a few seconds, Lockon is seen sitting atop Dynames' shoulder, giving a wink, Allelujah in the base of Kyrios' hand. His bangs part slightly, revealing his golden eye. The last quick image shows Tieria sitting in Virtue's cockpit, adjusting his glasses before looking fiercely into the camera.

~Mirai wa dare ni mo uchiotosenai~

The scene shows Lelouch tossing away his blue scarf into the air before the screen shows him in his Zero outfit, the Black Knights and the Gundam Meisters standing behind him with their respective Knightmares and Gundams standing behind them.

The final scene shows Zero's mask lying on a desk, Lelouch's scarf beside it alongside a cracked black King chess piece.

**Episode 2: The Crimson Lotus of Japan**

Ever since the appearance of Celestial Being, the whole world had been tossed into disorder. Various people within the populace wondered if this new group was serious about eliminating war, while others immediately supported the group, not just because they too wanted a world without war, but also because they believed they could accomplish it through the power of their Gundams. Of course, it was because of the power of these machines that the leaders of each superpower/nation held a meeting to discuss what to do with them.

In the Chinese Federation, the high eunuchs were completely captivated by the sheer dominance these machines displayed, as footage from the fight, if it could even be called that, between the blue Gundam and the new Sixth-Gen. Knightmare was being shown to the world for all to see. Li had to admit, he was both grateful and nervous at the same time. His gratitude came for the fact that, were it not for Celestial Being intervening with those Purists, he was sure that the Palace would suffer damage, thus leading to casualties. However, his nervous behavior came from their goals.

'They challenge the notion of war itself...' the loyal soldier of the Empress thought, looking at the footage with a skeptical eye, watching the machine's every move. It was clear that this was no ordinary Mobile Weapon, as it moved too fluidly, too quickly, and too precise. He did notice, however, the sheer amount of brutality it displayed towards the Britannian soldiers, practically feeling the malice seeping off the blue mech as it cut down as Glasgow. 'I wonder if this means we are targets as well for this Celestial Being...'

**~~~Code Geass: The Miraculous Birthday~~~**

In the European Union, military leaders were hold up in a dimly lit steel room with monitors as the only source of light. High-ranking officers were dressed in dark blue or green with a gun holstered at their hip or a knife strapped to their thigh. Standing amongst the group were three people, all of which seen as figures of both respect, fear, and awe. To the left was a man wearing a dark green uniform with a close shave, a scar located on his face while both hands were clasped together behind his back, and his eyes narrowed dangerously at the footage. In the middle did a beautiful woman with long hair, wearing a blue uniform with red trims, possess the same sort of glare as the man beside her, but with feelings of anxiety regarding Celestial Being's objectives. Beside the woman, standing to the right, was a young man no older than sixteen, wearing a blue uniform with the sleeves rolled up to the forearms, and a tanto knife located on his back. His face was devoid of any emotion whatsoever, but one could see the looks of blazing fury buried deep in his cold eyes, matching his dark hair.

To the left was Colonel Sergei Smearnov, known as the "Bear of Russia" for his brutal strength and capabilities. To the right was Akito Hyuga, a skilled soldier despite his age, and arguably of the same caliber as the Colonel. At the center was Leila Malkal, a former Britannian Aristocrat, as well as an influential member to the Wyvern unit. These three were considered to be the most important to the EU, despite their diversity.

"A newly unveiled Sixth-Generation, cut down to ribbons so easily..." Sergei muttered, staring long at hard at the machine that had been recently called the White Devil. "It's abilities are terrifying, to say the least."

"Indeed so." Leila nodded in agreement. "However, its brutality appears to be quite strong towards the Britannian soldiers. Perhaps the pilot is a Number, or a victim of Britannia?"

"It wouldn't surprise me," the older man replied solemnly. "that so called 'Holy Empire' has caused a lot of grief these past several years. They don't show any sort of kindness about them, if the invasion of Japan was any indication."

"I assume you're referring to the fact that two members of Britannian royalty were present?" Leila inquired.

It was public knowledge concerning the existence of two of the Emperor's children, Lelouch vi Britannia and his younger sister Nunnally. From what little was known, during the assassination of the consort Marianne vi Britannia, the terrorists kidnapped the two children and fled to Japan. The Kururugi family took advantage of this, and used the two children as mere bargaining chips during the ongoing debate for their Sakuradite mining facility.

Back then, before the event that had left him in his current state, Akito was disgusted with his former country. He hadn't been shedding tears when he found out that Genbu Kururugi, the Prime Minister, committed suicide as a form of protest against the 'do-or-die' call against Britannia's forces during the final days of invasion.

"Yes. From what I gathered, Marianne vi Britannia was very well-liked by both nobles and commoners alike, considering her background." Sergei explained to the former Britannian aristocrat. "I assume that those particular people were displeased with their country's actions."

"Such as the Ashfords." Leila added once he finished. "They were her biggest supporters."

It was after she finished speaking that Leila noticed that Akito had not spoken a word. Looking at him, she could see a vicious smirk trying to force itself onto his lips, and his fingers twitching uncontrollably. 'Oh boy, his brother's Geass is starting to surface...' Leila grimaced, recalling how exactly Akito had become feared as the "Ghost of Hannibal." 'I can only imagine how brutal he'll be against one of these Gundams...'

**~~~Code Geass: The Miraculous Birthday~~~**

At the Holy Britannian Empire, specifically at Area 11, several men and women in suits sat on either side of a long wooden table, the footage of the Enact's (coughEmbarrassingcough) defeat still being run. "Our latest model, defeated so easily..." one man, middle-aged with a touch of gray hair, spoke with both a hint of fear and disdain. "This only proves who devastating the Mobile Weapons can be if controlled properly."

"True, but how in the hell did these people create one?" another man, wearing a black suit and glasses with wrinkles along his cheeks, asked in confusion. "As I recall, the number of people who can pilot these weapons are even fewer in number than the amount of machines we have. We haven't even found a suitable pilot for the Jinx prototype!"

"This group is blatantly declaring war upon Britannia, as well as the Chinese Federation and the EU." a woman wearing a dark blue suit said calmly, looking at the video feed with a look of contempt. "They say they wish to eradicate war, when they themselves are starting one of their own!"

"That is not the issue right now." All eyes turned on the first man, who looked at the machine as if it were both a demon to be exorcised and a god to be revered. "All we know now is that we now face a new enemy... Gundams."

**~~~Code Geass: The Miraculous Birthday~~~**

At the news station, the entire place was in total disarray. Workers scrambled on their feet, booking out the door and typing on the keyboard in panic while others shouted over each other, either on the phone or giving out orders. In the midst of the chaos, however, Kinue managed to actually get her work done as her fingers flied over the keyboard before the computer screen showed a man shaking hands with the leader of Celestial Being. "I knew he looked familiar." Kinue muttered before her assistant came up from behind her and smiled.

"Looks like your hunch was on the mark, Kinue." Diethard said with satisfaction, now knowing the identity of the founder of the organization that had just issued a clear declaration of war against the entire world. "Still, It's almost hard to believe that a man could live past 200 years."

"Aeolia Schenberg..." the older of the Crossroad siblings said aloud, eyes scanning the information beside the picture. "He was a Britannian aristocrat credited with being one of the smartest people alive. He was the one who proposed the theory of solar power, as well as the one who provided the blueprints for today's Knightmares. However, at the age of 52, he suddenly dropped out of the public eye, and cut off all ties with his family. They say he died somewhere, but his corpse was never recovered."

"Maybe he found a way to gain immortality?" Diethard offered with a joking grin. Kinue actually laughed at her partner's joke before taking out her cell and looking at the bottom of the screen. He could already guess what she was looking at. "Going back already?"

"Yeah, you think you can finish this up and show it to our editor?"

"Yeah, no problem. Oh, by the way, that memorial project of yours was approved."

As soon as Kinue had slipped on her bag, she looked at Diethard with wide eyes. "Wait, really?"

The older man nodded. "I'll see if I can arrange a meeting between you and the Margrave. Still, I have to ask, what made you choose to do a memorial project on Marianne vi Britannia?"

Kinue flashed a grin of her own, displaying what her coworkers called the "Crossroad Scoop", as whenever she got this sort of grin, one could tell their ears would be ripped off via long explanations. Some of the older workers wondered how exactly Diethard could tolerate it, having worked under her for a good five years now. "Why wouldn't I?" Kinue asked incredulously. "She was the first common person to ever become royalty, much less the Knight of Two. She gained Knight status when she was just thirteen, and only two years later, received the honor to become a member of the Knights of the Round, the elite of the elite. Following that year, she became the wife of the Emperor of Britannia. Now, do tell me that isn't worth looking into."

Diethard laughed her explanation off before reminding her that her brother was waiting for her. As soon as she heard this, her grin disappeared and was replaced by panic as she bobbed and weaved past her coworkers as she hurried toward the door. As soon as she was gone, the older man looked at the photo of Aeolia Schenberg with anticipation.

"Celestial Being, founded by a man who died over two centuries ago..." Diethard breathed in amazement. "Just when I thought they couldn't get more interesting."

**~~~Code Geass: The Miraculous Birthday~~~**

"And I keep telling ya, Ohgi, it's a bad plan."

Kallen rolled her eyes as she listened to yet another spat between a fellow member of her brother's resistance cell and the only man she considered to be a surrogate brother. The man in question was probably a good ten years younger than her father, who was at the ripe age of forty with gray streaks beginning to form in his dark red hair, the only thing Kallen inherited from him. Nagata, as that was the man's name, was also a father, however he had lost both his five-year-old daughter and his wife during the invasion, leaving him cold, bitter, and broken.

Of course, he, along with various other members, weren't always like this. They hadn't started to get cold feet until this Celestial Being group appeared. Ever since they made that declaration, even stating that any group who supported or took part in any form of war would be their target.

Ohgi sighed, shaking his hand and placing his hands on his hips. "Look, I understand how you feel about this, Nagata, I really do, but my hands are tied here." he told the man earnestly. "Besides, do you really think they'll go after people like us? I mean, we've only gone after military supplies and depots, and that's it. Besides, compared to the other groups, we're a small force."

Nagata still looked worried, but nodded at Ohgi's logic. Kallen could feel his pain well, as she had lost her brother about a year ago. Since his death, Ohgi became the acting leader of the resistance, though this fact itself remained unsaid for some reason. To be honest, she trusted no one else for the task, and she would certainly be damned if she ever let that moronic fool Tamaki lead this group. 'Knowing him, he'd probably screw up.' Kallen thought wryly before standing up from the couch, walking toward the two.

"I say we give this plan a shot." the half-Britannian said with a fierce tone. She hated acting like a weak and sickly child at school, she hated acting as someone she never wanted to be, however if any of her "friends" at school saw how she acted, she bet they would be surprised by her sudden change in attitude. "Naoto had found out about this just before he got captured, right?"

Ohgi nodded grimly. "Yeah, and I bet if Celestial Being found out about it, they would get involved. After all, they did say they wanted to eliminate war, and I'm pretty sure poison gas counts as taking part in it."

As she thought he would, Tamaki spat out, removing himself from the wall he had been leaning in. "I bet they ain't even serious!" he said with a scowl. "Eliminate war my ass!"

"Tamaki, did you forget that they have not one, not two, but four Mobile Weapons?" Kallen reminded him, catching him off guard. "The people who can pilot those monsters are even fewer than the mechs themselves. With those things, I'm pretty sure they could go against the Knights of the Round."

"She's got a point, if what we saw on the news was real." Yoshida nodded in agreement. "I mean, did you see how that guy chopped up those Knightmares? Whoever was piloting that thing, he sure doesn't like Britannians."

"You think he could be Japanese, like us?" Minami suggested. "It would make sense."

Ohgi sighed, scratching the back of his head before looking at everyone. "Listen guys, I know we're all nervous about this new group, but let's focus on our mission for now. If we show the world what Britannia is really like, then we could probably get some leverage over them. Hell, if all goes well, maybe Celestial Being will do our job for us."

Everyone seemed to agree with his logic, with Tamaki being the only exception, but even he had to admit, the logic was sound. However, the only thing that worried Kallen was the amount of security that would be guarding this pathogen. It would be tighter than Fort Knocks, if it was even possible, but if they could pull this off, then support for Britannia would go down rapidly. Or, at least, that was what Kallen hoped.

In any case, she wasn't about to let her brother's death mean nothing. She didn't care if she ended up having to fight one of the Gundams, she was going to succeed... for his sake.

**~~~Code Geass: The Miraculous Birthday~~~**

Meanwhile, in a luxurious part in the Settlement, a well-aged old man fumbled with a chess piece when a buzzing sound went off, signaling that he had taken too much time. "From now on, you will have only twenty seconds per move." one of the men in suits informed the man. The old man's opponent, a rather portly man with brown hair and a nail filer in hand, seemed to enjoy this new rule as he smirked. "Very well, I'm game."

The old man was beginning to sweat bullets before he heard the door open. Already knowing who it was, he breathed a sigh of relief as he stood up, looking at his replacement. "Oh, thanks heavens! I trust everything is well?" he asked. The nobleman raised an eyebrow, looking at his new opponent.

The two who entered the room were certainly ones you would notice in a crowd. The oldest of the two was the tallest, with brown hair coming down to the collar of his green shirt, dressed in a brown leather vest with fur lining along the collar and a pair of jeans with boots. The youngest, looking no older than seventeen, had black hair that was swept to the right, carrying rich purple eyes with a scarf wrapped around his neck. His attire consisted of a white jacket with black edgings, a pink polo with an overturned collar, and black khaki slacks.

"Well, what do you know, a school boy." the nobleman didn't even try to hide his arrogance as he addressed the two. "I envy you kids today, you have so much time... time for regrets. What's your name?"

"Alan." the boy spoke with an icy cold tone that made the man flinch. "Alan Spacer."

The man bent over a bit, looking at the board and whistled, looking back at his companion. "Nine minutes, eight tops." he said with a smooth tone. The boy developed a smirk as he took his seat in the old man's place. Speaking of the old man, the youth turned to him and asked, "About that thing Alan talked with you about yesterday..."

The old man nodded in understanding. "Understood. We'll discuss it later, Mr. Dylandy."

"Don't worry, Neil..." Alan said with confidence leaking into his face taking the King into his hand and looking back at the nobleman dead in the eye, as if examining him from the inside out. "We'll be done in eight minutes."

"Eight minutes?" the nobleman spluttered, staring at the boy incredulously. Was he honestly this arrogant? "You only have twenty seconds per move!"

"Enough time." Alan informed him as he placed his King towards the upper left square from its original position. The man stared even harder at the boy, realizing he had just taken his first move with one of the weakest chess pieces in the game.

"Y-you started with the King?" the man couldn't help but burst out laughing, holding his stomach. "You're an amusing fellow!"

Unbeknownst to the arrogant noble, the young man named Neil grinned, knowing full well that the man had just walked into his execution... metaphorically speaking. 'If there is one thing I have ever learned about him, it's that you never challenge him to a game of chess...'

**~~~Code Geass: The Miraculous Birthday~~~**

"Eight minutes and forty two seconds is a new record for you." Lockon said with a grin as the two walked out of the building, the sniper holding a briefcase containing their winnings. "Gotta say, I kind of enjoy seeing the looks on those guys' face. Nobility always pays up to keep its face."

"They aren't even worth our time at all." Zero replied flatly, though Lockon could still see the satisfaction reflected in his purple irises. "Besides, he couldn't think out his moves properly since he had only twenty seconds."

"Eh, true."

"Has there been any word from Sumeragi about the next mission?"

Lockon sighed, shaking his head. Zero had always been like this, barring off his emotions from his life so that they wouldn't get in his way. The older man had told him to live out his life to its fullest, as the best way to live was with your emotions. However, his plead fell on deaf ears, as Zero had been emotionless and 'dead' since the day he joined Celestial Being three years ago. Even now, Lockon wondered what possessed the boy to join a cause that would involve him risking his life and taking the lives of others. Of course, the personal lives of each Meister was kept strictly confidential, his past included.

Of course, Lockon learned a bit about Zero in the three years of his training to become a full-fledged Meister. It was around that time that he learned that he and Zero were similar in a way. Lockon had lost his sister and his parents, while Zero lost his mother and his sister, who was blind and crippled. Still, Lockon wanted to kill the man who dared to call himself that boy's father. What sort of monster sends his son to be used as a hostage for Christ's sake?

Since then, Lockon had formed a bond of sorts with Zero, becoming his partner in a sense. They could coordinate their moves well, and they trusted each other with their lives. It was also thanks to that Lockon learned that the boy didn't want to make friends; it was just that he didn't know how to make them. To his understanding, Zero only had one friend, a boy named Suzaku Kururugi, and he had perished alongside his sister.

There were times when Lockon wondered if they truly were beyond the point of no return. Once he realized his thoughts, however, he chided himself. They had taken the lives of several soldiers just a few days ago, and it was seen all over the world. There was no turning back for them; they had to see this through.

But... that didn't mean he wasn't okay with Zero living this life.

"It's supposed to start within the next ten hours, so we have some time to kill." Lockon informed his young partner as they walked through the streets of the Settlement. "Still, this threw me for a loop. Poison gas? Isn't that, I dunno, kind of pushing it?"

"There was a unwritten rule within the military that chemical warfare was strictly forbidden." Zero informed Lockon, his tone suddenly becoming icy as he spoke. "The rule itself was established in 1983, during the invasion of Germany. Britannia had created a chemical that had three stages of infection: hallucination, organ failure, and death. It was used during the attempt to overtake the southern region of the country, where Adolph Hitler had made into his base of operations. The mission had two goals: test the limits of the pathogen and overtake the region. The gas was released via air strike, and claimed the lives of over 400,000 people, including civilians. Hitler was included in the casualties, but so were 30,000 Britannians."

Lockon had nearly stopped dead in his tracks. "Dear lord... small wonder they forbid the use of poison gas."

"And now Britannia intends to use it again." Zero growled, his hands balling into fists as his stride became heavy. "Clovis is as corrupted as the rest of those damned pieces of filth. Every last one of them deserves to die."

The sniper couldn't help but wince at his fellow Meister's words. Truly, his hatred for his birthplace had run quite deep, but he supposed it was natural. Just as he despised terrorists for taking the lives of his family, Zero loathed his home country for taking the life of his sister, who was the only family he had left. With her gone, he was alone in this world, unable to look out for himself. Celestial Being offered him a place in their ranks, and he accepted without hesitation.

He hoped that his hatred would dissolve once CB completes its goal in eradicating war from this world.

**~~~Code Geass: The Miraculous Birthday~~~**

"Damn it all!" Nagata cursed as he slammed his foot down on the pedal, the truck accelerating and passing by several oncoming cars. "We finally got this stupid thing, and now we've got the damned military on our ass because Tamaki couldn't follow Naoto's plan!"

"Just keep driving, and don't stop!" Kallen shouted as she looked out the window, seeing helicopters chasing after them. Despite how far away they were, she could tell that they were equipped with gun turrets. They were just giving out warnings, but she knew it wouldn't be long before they let loose on them. "God damn it, that stupid moron! Why can't he ever listen for once?!"

"Why the hell did Ohgi even let him in on this mission in the first place?!" Nagata snarled, spinning the wheel as they made a quick turn around the corner. "He always screws things up!"

Kallen didn't respond, she was more focused on the fact that there were now news helicopters alongside the military ones. Once she saw this, she cursed and pulled her hat down. She couldn't be discovered right now, and if she were to be found out, then her friends and family would pay the price. "We had better get out of this alive..." she muttered.

She had no idea, however, that this mission would lead to an encounter that would shatter the world she knew, and open the door to a new one, a world unlike any other...

**~~~Code Geass: The Miraculous Birthday~~~**

Zero glared coldly at the monitor. If looks could kill, his bastard of a brother Clovis would be dead a hundred times over, brought to death in the worst way possible. "Nice little speech." Lockon remarked sarcastically as he slipped his keys into the ignition, starting up his motorbike. "Little good it does for bringing back the dead."

"Hmph..."

Zero looked away from the monitor, catching the helmet that was tossed at him before stepping inside the sidecar of the bike. Once he slipped it on and buckled up, Lockon revved up the engine and the two took off. "By the way, you do realize that you have to attend school tomorrow, right?" Lockon could have sworn he saw a look of horror over Zero's face. School wasn't that bad, was it? He dropped out in his last year of middle school, joining CB around that time, so he had no idea what Ashford was like. "Ah, to be surrounded by young, healthy, beautiful women... I really envy you, you know that, Zero?"

"I fail to see the appeal of school." Zero retorted.

Lockon chuckled, realizing that he just got a rise out of the boy. "Well, you're still sixteen, so you have to attend. Just think of it as your cover during our time here in Britannia. Allelujah and Tieria are still in space, and won't be coming down until the next mission."

Zero sighed, shaking his head in resignation. "If I must..."

"Hey, who knows? You might like school."

"I highly doubt it, especially if its Ashford Academy."

"Worried someone might learn about your past there?"

"Something along those lines."

"Well, whatever. By the way, I've been meaning to ask you... why do you always move the King when you get the chance?"

"If a King does not lead, how can he expect his subordinates to follow?"

Lockon laughed heartedly at, throwing his head back before looking at his companion. "What's up with that? You plan on running a business or something?"

"Ambitions like that will ruin your health."

Lockon was about to go into another laughing fit when a loud "HONK!" screamed behind him. Nearly losing his grip on his motorbike, he looked over his shoulder and immediately moved away from the oncoming truck, avoiding becoming road kill. "Oi, what the hell was-" He was cut-off by the sound of helicopters whirling above them, as if they were following the truck. "What the?"

"Lockon!"

Said Meister snapped out of his funk and looked back at the truck, which had taken the wrong lane and slammed into an abandoned construction building. The force of the crash sent bits of debris flying, and a cloud of smoke exploding all over it.

"Uh... did we cause that?"

Zero ignored him and hopped out of his side of the bike, running over to the side. He could see several bystanders watching the truck, as if expecting something to happen. 'Hypocrites...' he thought darkly, despising people like them before looking back at the truck.

Was it his imagination, or did he just see a sparkling green light that resembled GN Particles appear near the access panel atop the cargo holder? "Hey, wait, that truck..." Zero looked over at Lockon, who stared at it intently. "If I remember right, that's the one that has the poison gas."

Instantly, Zero ran down the ramp and for the truck, causing Lockon to look at him in disbelief. "Oi, what the hell are you doing?!" he shouted after him, but his words fell on deaf ears as he watched the boy run near the truck in question. Sighing in irritation, he pulled out his cell and punched in a few numbers before pressing the phone against his ear.

"Honestly, kids these days..." he grumbled before the person on the other line finally picked up. "Hey, Miss Sumeragi. We've got a problem..."

**~~~Code Geass: The Miraculous Birthday~~~**

Kallen groaned as she felt the banging of her skull beginning to subside. At first, she wondered where she was before remembering that she was on board a truck containing the poison gas that the third prince of Britannia created. She managed to wear off her sluggishness before looking at Nagata, who was still unconscious, his head resting against his shoulder while his right arm hung limply. "Nagata..." she called out, shaking his shoulder. She received no response, forcing her to shake it harder. "Nagata!"

Finally, the man stirred awake, and his arm returned to the wheel. "Let's go, the military will catch up to us in no time!"

The man nodded before slamming his foot down, rearing the truck back and then shoving off back onto the main road, ignoring the warnings and offers of the soldiers. Kallen knew that they would never let them go, considering they had just stolen a valuable piece of machinery that, if exposed to the world, could ruin public support.

Kallen hoped it would be enough to send Celestial Being into action. In truth, ever since she saw that video showing that blue Gundam decimate the base like child's play, she grew captivated by their brilliance, their abilities, their strengths. She longed to have those qualities, to be able to fight against the people that had taken her brother away from her.

She wondered if she would see that Mobile Weapon up close in the near future...

**Turn 2...END**

**Fate. It is the wheel that continues to spin, trampling those who stands in its way underfoot. It cannot be stopped, and it cannot be deterred. A crimson flower, a black crown, and a white shield come together at last.**

**Next Time, Waltz of Exia**

**Zero reunites with an old friend from the past...**

~~~Author's Notes~~~

Wow, I didn't think I'd get this many views on my story. Still, I thank you guys for reviewing, considering I'm just starting out on fanfiction. Every review only helps my motivation, so keep 'em coming! Anyway, the next chapter should be coming in the next couple of days, but since I have to balance my schoolwork with my plain life, the updates will be slow. Plus, they will get even slower after the 30th, and for good reason. I'm a Persona fan, and Ultimax is being released in ten days. Needless to say, I am excited. Also, if any of you are a fan of the series, I'll have a Persona story up soon. I hope you will enjoy it to your heart's content!

Now, onto the questions.

1) Setsuna will not be featured in this story, but he will make an appearance in R2, but he will be piloting Exia still, the role of the pilot of 00 goes to Lelouch. Sorry~

2) The reason why Lelouch is so menacing in the first place is because, well, he thinks Nunnally is dead and gone. His reason for creating the Black Knights, and even donning the mask was all for the sake of his sister. When he thought she died, he fell into depression and was even willing to allow the Black Knights to kill him when they found out about his Geass, but thanks to Rolo, he regained his resolve. In this fic, Lelouch is downright terrifying, and is willing to use any means necessary to take out anyone who gets in his way. This will be further shown during the battle at Narita.

3) I agree that Suzaku and Euphemia are a bit naive, but Suzaku gets a wake-up call after meeting with Zero for the first time. He won't be joining the Black Knights though, and as for Celestial Being... You'll have to wait and see.

4) You'll find out about C.C. soon enough.

5) The pairings are still undecided, but I can assure you, SajiXLouis is still there.

Well, that's it for now. Adios, guys!


	3. Waltz of Exia

**Summary:** Since the day Britannia invaded Japan, Lelouch had thought his sister Nunnally and his friend Suzaku had died. He grew to despise war, and grew to loathe Britannia with all of his being. He vowed to eradicate war, and to destroy Britannia. It was only natural that he would be chosen to act as a Gundam Meister of Celestial Being.

_**Code Geass: The Miraculous Birthday**_

"You should know what this badass mother can do!" –Kallen Kouzuki

_War is natural in this world, it is an unstoppable being that advances forth, born from the hatred of human existence. It breeds only anger, loss, sadness, grief, and in the end, only more war. It is an endless cycle of hatred that could never be broken._

_Japan, a neutral country, and the biggest manufacturer of Sakuradite, in the year of 2010, had come under the attack of Holy Britannian Empire, a giant behemoth that has already gained dominance over one third of the world. During the early stages of the invasion, Britannian had unveiled its latest weapon, which proved effective in the war._

_The Autonomous Armored Knight: codenamed Knightmare Frame. Their incredible power proved effective, as Japan fell in less than a month. The people had been stripped of their rights, their culture, their history, and in the end... even their own name had been taken from them._

_Area 11. A meager number had replaced the proud name of a proud country. The year is 2017, and even now, the flickers of war continue to burn. Currently, the three nations are at a standstill, each never gaining the upper hand. At one side is the Holy Britannian Empire, led by 98th Emperor Charles zi Britannia, and opposing them is the Chinese Federation and the European Union, dubbed the EU._

_Yes, even now, the world continues to play a grand zero sum game. However, behind these flames comes a new, unknown force that challenges the very world itself. They have announced their ideals, and standing against them is the very world itself. They had declared to all those born and bred on Earth that they shall eliminate war from this world._

_They simply call themselves... Celestial Being._

_Play "Daybreak's Bells"_

_Artist: L'Arc-en-Ciel_

_~Music Playing~_

_The camera plays images of the invasion of Japan: Knightmares shooting past alleyways with rifles at the ready, the people cowering underneath windows and anything they can use to hide. When the piano plays, the camera shoots upward and shows the 0 Gundam with a beam saber at the ready, standing behind the orange tinted sky. The camera then plays out the Geass sequence, the title appearing afterwards._

_~Nee konna katachi no deai shika nakatta no~_

_The camera shows Lelouch standing amidst the rubble of the ghettos, looking at the scene before turning sharply around, walking toward the blue Gundam, Exia, kneeling behind him._

_~Kanashii ne~_

_As he moves past an alleyway, a girl with red hair, Kallen, comes out with Ohgi and Tamaki in their resistance uniforms, walking toward an abandoned building where a meeting is being held._

_~Anata ni shinde mo ayamete hoshiku mo nai~_

_The scene shows a young Suzaku backing away from the kneeling form of Genbu Kururugi, his stomach stained red with blood with a knife sticking out. The screen plays out like an old film before showing an older Suzaku in his military uniform, performing a salute with the other soldiers that stand beside him._

_~Onegai~_

_The screen briefly shows Nunnally with Sayoko, the Ashford Academy cast standing beside her in a field of flowers before Nunnally looks up in wonder as a shadow passes by alongside a gust of wind._

_~Unmei sae nomikomare shizumisou na umi e to~_

_The camera shows the other Gundam Meisters in their respective places. Lockon stands over the graves of his parents and sister before walking away with a look of determination, passing his younger brother Lyle. Allelujah walks by Soma Peres in his casual clothes, the two not noticing each other, however when Allelujah passes by a glass window, Hallelujah grins evilly, learning at Soma. Tieria stands in an empty command center, looking at a screen before walking away, never faltering._

_~Negai yo kaze no notte yoake no kane o narase yo~_

_The screen shows Exia, Kyrios, Dynames, and Virtue heading off into battle. Exia's feet grind against the ground as it twirls around, cutting three Sutherlands in half before the camera shows Lelouch glaring darkly at the fallen machines. It cuts over to Allelujah zooming over the Tokyo Settlement before Kyrios transforms and comes down, cutting a Sutherland in half. An explosion occurs, showing Kyrios standing in the crimson cloud menacingly._

_~Tori no you ni My wishes over their airspace~_

_Dynames is seen sniping Sutherlands from the Saitama ghetto, Lockon grinning as he does so before the camera shows Virtue firing its beam cannon, evaporating every Sutherland in its path._

_~Musuu no nami o koe asu e tachimukau anata o~_

_Lelouch is seen standing in front of Nunnally, a look of surprise over his face as the girl smiles tearfully, her hands overlapping his before another gust of wind shoots by, the flowers being wiped away and revealing a glass-like surface reflecting the azure sky._

_~Mamoritamae My life I trade in for your pain~_

_The Ashford Academy cast is seen standing behind Nunnally, all of which with smiles on their faces before showing Cornelia and Euphemia alongside them, smiling at the scene in front of them. Guilford, Darlton, Jeremiah, and Villetta stand behind the two princesses quietly._

_~Arasoi yo tomare~_

_In a span of a few seconds, Lockon is seen sitting atop Dynames' shoulder, giving a wink, Allelujah in the base of Kyrios' hand. His bangs part slightly, revealing his golden eye. The last quick image shows Tieria sitting in Virtue's cockpit, adjusting his glasses before looking fiercely into the camera._

_~Mirai wa dare ni mo uchiotosenai~_

_The scene shows Lelouch tossing away his blue scarf into the air before the screen shows him in his Zero outfit, the Black Knights and the Gundam Meisters standing behind him with their respective Knightmares and Gundams standing behind them._

_The final scene shows Zero's mask lying on a desk, Lelouch's scarf beside it alongside a cracked black King chess piece._

* * *

><p><em><strong>Episode 3: Waltz of Exia<strong>_

Suzaku couldn't help but feel a rush of nostalgia run through him as he felt his feet touch the ground, the familiar yet grim sight in front of him seemingly welcoming him back with its rotting arms. "I never realized it had gotten this bad here in the ghettos..." he muttered underneath his mask as he built up strength in his legs and ran forward, entering the subway. According to intelligence, the truck containing the poison gas container had entered an abandoned train station, using the tracks leading into what was once the proud city of Shinjuku. Considering how much time had passed, as well as the state of the ghettos seeing as how Britannia never deemed it important to rebuild, the tunnels were likely old and crumbling. With any luck, the truck was trapped somewhere along the tracks.

'I can't believe Britannia actually made poison gas, despite the fact that they forbid the use of it ever since the invasion of Germany!' he thought angrily, his fists clenching as he ran, turning at the corner. 'If I don't hurry, those terrorists will kill several innocent people! I can't let that happen, no matter what!'

It was after he reached the station platform that he found it. The truck wasn't moving, possibly one of the tires got suck in a ditch formed from the decay. He noted that the entrance to the cargo bay was now open, revealing the purple capsule in question. 'Found it.' His hand moved to his collar, tapping on the communication piece located there. "I've located the poison gas. Permission for retrieval."

"Negative, Private." came the immediate response. "Focus on securing the location and eliminate the terrorists. Wait until the Royal Guard gets there, and await further instructions."

"Understood." He closed the communication, sighing mentally. He knew he would have to kill people, but that didn't mean he would have to like it. Lord knows the death of his father still haunted him to this day. It was because of his father's death that he swore he would bring an end to all this useless fighting. If he could become the Knight of One, he could make that dream a reality and eliminate all this conflict. It would also allow him to bring people like them into the light, Britannians who truly had good in their hearts and believed that, regardless of nationality and position, both Britannians and Numbers could come to an understanding.

Of course, it wasn't just the death of his father that spurned this action. It was during the event that the warehouse had come under attack, forcing Suzaku and Nunnally to leave and seek shelter, coming across his combat instructor Tohdoh by chance and finding a bunker. However, it was after the invasion ended that Suzaku had scoured the battlefield, searching high and low for the one person he could truly call his friend.

Lelouch.

The image of that boy, who refused to participate in any sort of physical activity unless actually forced into it, was the driving force behind Suzaku's ambitions and desire for change. Nunnally was desperately clinging onto the hope that the only family she had was still alive out there somewhere. By becoming a soldier, Suzaku would be able to do just that, search for him with the likelihood of running into him.

While thinking of his friend, Suzaku caught something moving from within the truck. Instantly zooming in on the open space within the truck with the camera installed in his helmet, he saw a slim figure in front of the capsule. The Honorary Britannian instantly realized what they were trying to do, and sprung into action, running as quickly as possible and leaping into the air, performing his signature spin kick.

Despite the armor he wore, he could feel the wind grazing against his frame as his body spun around in mid-air, his leg stretched out with the heel straightened out. The terrorist somehow managed to sense Suzaku's presence, and turned around just in time to bring up his arms in defense, blocking the strike easily.

Suzaku was left suspended in the air for a brief moment, leaving the terrorist an opportunity. Knocking his leg back, he tried to ram his fist into his face, but Suzaku wasn't like most people. He had been trained by one of the most formidable forces in the resistances found in Area 11, and had also receives military training that would break even the most hard-working of men. He easily managed to catch the terrorist's attack with his palm, his feet finding their way back to the ground. Swinging his arm away, Suzaku leaned in for a quick strike with a right hook, but his opponent appeared to be skilled as well, his head moving away with the fist grazing his cheek.

The two jumped back, with Suzaku outside the truck and the terrorist in the darkness, exposing only his lower torso. "Why are you going through with this mindless murder?!" he demanded of the man, anger rising in his voice. "Using poison gas?! Do you understand how many people will die?!"

"Funny to hear that coming from a god-damned Britannian."

Suzaku's breath nearly stopped, his eyes widening from underneath his helmet as he watched the terrorist step out from the darkness, revealing his form to him. A white jacket with black trims, a pink polo shirt with black khaki slacks, a slender form that hid muscle tone, raven black hair, and rich purple eyes that bore such intensity and burning anger that Suzaku almost shivered.

And yet... all he could feel at that point was joy and relief.

He had finally found him!

"It was made by Britannia, isn't that right?" the boy asked icily. "Just when I thought you bastards couldn't sink any lower. Scum like you don't even deserve to live."

**~~~Code Geass: The Miraculous Birthday~~~**

Zero was livid, his fingers twitching as he was reaching for the combat knife hidden in his sleeve. He had been close to inspecting the machine and getting the data when this soldier had interrupted him. Still, he had to admit; the soldier had skill, being able to perform such a powerful backspin kick with suck strength and agility. If it weren't for his training that he was forced to undergo to become a Gundam Meister, he would surely have been knocked back. But... where had he seen that technique before?

It didn't matter anyway. Soon enough, this soldier would-

"Lelouch..."

In that one second, Zero had slipped away and Lelouch vi Britannia returned from the dead, his eyes widening and his blood going cold. He had not been called by that name in over three years, and as far as Britannia knew, Lelouch vi Britannia and his sister, Nunnally vi Britannia, died during the invasion, presumably at the hands of the Britannian soldiers or the Kururugi family when they outlived their usefulness.

So how was it possible that this man knew who he was?

"I can't believe it... It's really you!" the soldier exclaimed in relief, the mask popping off the helmet as the soldier's fingers brushed against the metal and slipped off. As soon as the soldier's face was revealed, Lelouch felt tears beginning to form.

Brown hair, soft green eyes-!

"S-Su...zaku...?" he rasped out, unable to believe his eyes. He almost didn't want to believe it, but there was a part of him, that small piece that truly held on to the notion that somehow, someway, his dearest friend had survived. The proof was standing there, right in his face.

There was no doubt about it, the teen that stood before him was none other than his childhood friend, Suzaku Kururugi.

"I always knew you were alive, Lelouch!" Suzaku said, tears falling down his cheeks as he tossed his helmet away and ran up to the former prince, wrapping his arms around his friend. "When they said they couldn't find you're body, I knew that... God, this is... this is a miracle!"

It took a moment for Lelouch to regain his senses, and he hugged his friend back, allowing the tears that had been building up to stream down his cheeks, choked sobs coming out from his throat. It was almost like a dream to him, but he knew for certain from simply touching him that this was indeed his friend from so many years ago.

The two finally broke apart, Lelouch wiping tears away from his face while Suzaku looked sheepish, his hand scratching the back of his head. "So... uh... how've you been?"

"Really?" Lelouch asked his friend, raising an eyebrow and reverting to his former personality. "Seven years, and that is the first thing you say to me?"

"O-oh, shut up, slacker!"

"Slacker? Look who's talking! If I didn't help you out with you're homework, you would have failed those tests, and Lady Minako would have your head on a platter for falling behind in school!"

"Thick-headed twig!"

"Moronic exercise nut!"

"Know-it-all!"

"Neanderthal!"

"Damned Britannian!"

"Stupid Japanese!"

Realizing that the two had been exchanging mindless banter, they laughed heartedly, forgetting the fact that they had been trying to kill each other. Lelouch wanted to ask why Suzaku was with the Britannian military, and the Honorary Britannian wanted to know why the former prince was with a bunch of terrorists, but they both knew it could wait for now. After all, they had a lot of catching up to do.

However, the happy moment had reached its end when a loud hiss echoed from behind the two. Lelouch whirled around, seeing the capsule gaining a bright glow through the small cracks, the metal rods that kept the poison gas contained within the vessel itself shooting up metal rods, steam bursting out from the crevices. Remembering what was inside the capsule, Suzaku panicked and grabbed the gas mask attached to his helmet and slammed it on Lelouch's face, forcing the two down. His life meant little to him, it was the life of his friend he had to protect.

However, rather than seeing some kind of smoke burst out from within, the moment the panels shot open, water seeped out at an incredible pace from being contained for so long. "That's... not poison gas..." Suzaku breathed out in both awe and confusion, with Lelouch looking at the scene with questions whirling around his head.

Inside the capsule was a girl, wearing what could be considered to be some kind of modified straight jacket, keeping the hands bound with the legs strapped together, and the mouth tightly clamped shut with the neck collar. Lelouch knew what sort of beauty women possessed, but what he saw was like a piece of artwork, the woman's skin smooth alabaster, her hair colored lime green, and her eyes butter yellow, briefly looking at the two boys before closing again, falling to the floor.

In that one moment, both boys had just one question whirring around in their head:

'Who in the hell is this girl?'

**~~~Code Geass: The Miraculous Birthday~~~**

Sumeragi groaned as she reclined in her chair, a hand over her face. "I swear, his obsession with Britannia is going to get him killed one of these days." the tactical forecaster mumbled to herself. She had just gotten off the phone with Lockon concerning Zero, as the sniper had informed her that he had, quite literally, hopped inside the terrorist's truck, which the proceed to flee the scene and away from the news helicopters. "This means I'm going to have to revise the plan."

"It's only natural regarding his decision." Sumeragi looked over her shoulder to see a young man walk inside the command center, wearing the space outfit designed specifically for Meisters. It was the same as the others, only this was colored purple, matching his hair. His eyes unnerved the woman, as they looked over you as if he were examining you and considering you to be a threat or an ally. "If you recall, Zero's personality profile suggests that, to him, the only way to eliminate war completely is if we destroy Britannia."

"I'm fully aware of that, Tieria." Sumeragi said to the Meister of Virtue, her eyes suddenly falling to the floor. She had read up on Zero's profile, as she and a few others within Celestial Being were the only ones were actually granted access to the history of their pilots.

Lockon Stratos, AKA Neil Dylandy was the victim of a terrorist attack. He had lost not only his parents, but also his three-year-old sister as well, thus leaving him and his twin brother Lyle orphans at the age of ten. This event led to a strong dislike towards terrorists, and even openly wishing that they would just disappear. It was in his last year in junior high that a senior operative had scouted Neil to act as a Gundam Meister, recognizing his marksmanship skills in both guns and archery. At the age of nineteen, he became a full-fledged Meister, and assumed the role of the Gundam's master sniper, thus leading him to become the pilot of Gundam Dynames.

Allelujah Haptism was something of a tragedy. He had been abandoned as an infant, and grew up on the streets until he was one day picked up by some kind of religious group, researching into something called "Geass", though the true nature of this power was unknown to Celestial Being, Sumeragi included. Allelujah was taught to kill when ordered to, and to be quick and efficient, but they didn't stop there. They made several augmentations to his body, thus making him stronger and faster. At the age of eleven, Allelujah was given a Geass himself, something called "Absolute Survival". Sumeragi felt a cold shudder run down her spine as she recalled that Allelujah, along with a few other children, tried to escape from this religious group, who called themselves the Geass Order. However, the nature of Allelujah's Geass had been revealed during the escape, which was a split personality hell-bent on survival, doing whatever it took to survive. This personality was aptly named "Hallelujah", the result of Allelujah's Geass. At the age of fourteen, after trying to live a normal life and keeping his Geass under control, Allelujah was introduced into Celestial Being, and joined on the spot. His aerial flying skills in a machine were unsurpassed, so it was only natural that he was made into the pilot of the Kyrios Gundam.

Tieria Erde was something of a mystery. There was hardly any information regarding him, however, as shown through the data and his actions, he was completely devoted to Celestial Being, completing the mission plans as ordered with terrifying efficiency, however he seemed to have some kind of strange obsession with Veda, the supercomputer AI that had run various possibilities and mission plans for CB's activities. In fact, it was Veda who recommended possible Gundam Meister candidates. Tieria was the first Meister on record, in charge of heavy-duty firepower, thus he acted as the pilot of the Virtue Gundam.

However, out of all the Meisters, it was Zero who was truly the most tragic. His real name was Lelouch vi Britannia, the eleventh prince of Britannia and the seventeenth heir to the Imperial Throne. He had a younger sister named Nunnally, who was both kind and gentle as her mother, the famed Marianne vi Britannia, a truly incredible woman, going from commoner to knight to royalty in a span of three years. However, the prince's happy life came to a sudden end when his mother was assassinated by this Geass Order, his sister losing her legs as a result of a bullet hitting both of her femurs, and the incident leaving emotional trauma, leaving her blind. To the public, it was a terrorist attack, but only a few knew the truth: it was a Britannian who claimed the life of the late consort.

Only a few days after the incident, Zero had stomped into his father's throne room and demanded that justice be done. In response, his father, Charles zi Britannia, the Emperor of the Holy Empire, had disowned him then and there, and exiled both Zero and Nunnally to Japan before the invasion, meant to be used as mere bargaining chips in the civil war for Sakuradite. The family who looked after them and took them in were the Kururugi family, with the head being the Prime Minister. During the three months of exile, Lelouch had come to befriend their eldest son, Suzaku Kururugi. The two were apparently quite close.

However, when Britannia invaded, Lelouch vi Britannia had lost everything. The warehouse that his sister and Suzaku had been hiding out was destroyed during the invasion, thus erasing the only family the boy had left. In retrospect, Sumeragi knew it was only natural to bear such hatred; such overwhelming anger against his home country, but what terrified her was how far he would go. Celestial Being, when he was thirteen, living in the ruined slums of Osaka, had discovered him, beaten and broken. Having been recommended by Veda, the group took him in and taught him how to control both Knightmares and Mobile Weapons, becoming a full-fledged Meister in only two years. Despite being so young, his tactical mind was incredible, so much so that Sumeragi thought that, if it came down to a battle of wits between him and her with Katie, the winner would be undecided.

His ruthless nature towards Britannia produced incredible results, making him highly valued. The group was actually using his hatred to their advantage, as most of his operations would be taking place within Britannia. Still, Sumeragi could only pity the poor boy. His past was very similar to Neil Dylandy, but he was overcome with such bitter hatred that he was unable to move on.

'He's far too young, and yet, he's already killed so many...' Sumeragi grimaced, looking down at her hands. 'No matter what... I won't let their fates be the same as his. I can't afford to make that mistake ever again...'

"Sumeragi." Tieria's voice was enough to snap the woman out of her morbid thoughts and return her attention back to reality, turning to the stoic Meister. "Regarding the next mission plan..."

"Yes, I know." the tactical forecaster nodded her head. "Once I've finished with the revisions, we'll go over the plan. I'm still a bit worried though. From what I've read regarding Veda's outline of the mission plan, it sound's like we'll have a bit of trouble."

"I assume you are referring to the EU's so called "Ghost of Hannibal"?" he asked, his piercing eyes narrowing behind his glasses.

"Akito Hyuga, from what we've heard, is a skilled pilot, and also practically on the same level of brutality as Allelujah's other self and Zero's ruthlessness. To be honest, knowing that there is someone like that scares me quite a bit."

"Then perhaps you should quit." Tieria said bluntly. Sumeragi had actually broke into a smile and giggled at the boy's straightforward attitude. She was going to have to teach him how to have fun one of these days. Although, she did wonder how old he was.

After all, the first step to learning how to have fun is to learn the joys of alcohol.

**~~~Code Geass: The Miraculous Birthday~~~**

"You've got some skills kid, but that's to be expected. You're a Britannian, after all."

Zero could barely hold in his anger, glaring harshly at the men who stood before him. 'Damned Britannian filth!' he screamed out in rage within his mind, his fingers twitching madly and practically begging to grab hold of the combat knife that he had nearly used on his friend.

It was wrong. He and Suzaku had finally found each other after seven years, and now this had happened. Simply because he refused to follow orders and kill him, as the soldiers believed him to be a terrorist, they gunned him down like a dog. If it weren't for the truck exploding when it did, Zero would have been shot down as well. He took the strange girl with him, seeing that the soldiers were after her and not him. He wanted to blame her, to shout and scream at her for taking away the only friend he had, and the only family he had left in this world.

The soldiers stood in front of him, all their guns ready to shoot. There was six in all, and all he had was a single knife. Of course, it would be more than enough to kill them all. He carefully slipped out the smoke bomb into his hand, and flicked the knife into the other.

"Before you decide to shoot me, mind if I ask something?" Zero asked icily, his beautiful purple eyes becoming cold and harsh as he stared back defiantly at the bastards who killed his friend. "How should a Britannian who hates Britannia live out his life?"

His question immediately caused the soldiers to tense, some looking at him in disbelief and others in anger. The man in charge, who bore a scar along his temple, scowled and leveled his gun, aiming for the head. "Are you some kind of radical?"

"What's the matter? You're opponent is just a kid, after all..." The soldiers didn't fire, rather they had become unnerved. This boy had no fear whatsoever; in fact all they could feel from him was hatred. Pure, absolute, unbridled hatred of the likes of which never seen before. "Or perhaps you pieces of trash finally understand that the only ones who should kill..."

Zero raised his arm, holding the smoke bomb tightly before slamming it down. "Are those prepared to be killed!"

Black smoke filled the area, obscuring their vision. Gunshots and screams echoed within the warehouse before all was reduced to silence. The green-haired woman watched in silence as the smoke cleared, revealing Zero to be the only one standing, holding a bloody knife. Most of his body was stained with blood splatters, and his entire right cheek was painted in red.

"Quite brutal, I never expected that from a boy." the woman noted aloud, having had her restrains removed earlier by Zero and Suzaku when she was released from the capsule.

Zero looked back at her. His rage seemed to be quelled for the moment, but when the woman saw his eyes, she felt as if she were looking at a corpse that stood walked this earth. "Britannia is nothing more but a cancer in this world, it continues to twist and ruin the lives of people who want to protect the people they love. They revel in the chaos they make, even starting war simply for the sake of 'evolution'. War creates hate and more war, and Britannia creates even more war."

"So, you think you can eliminate war by yourself?" the woman asked, her eyes narrowing at him. Was it possible that he was...? "How would you do it? You are but one man."

"No." Zero disagreed. "I am far from alone."

It was then that the woman realized that there was something inside the warehouse besides them. She could hear the sound of a machine whirring to life behind her, and the wind flapping her clothes against her, her hair flowing past her face. Turning, she saw a white Mobile Weapon with a blue torso, armed with a metal blade in its right arm. She recognized it immediately by the green light flowing out from its back, and turned back to the boy, who stood there quietly.

"So... you're with Celestial Being." It wasn't a question, it was a fact. Still, that didn't stop her from grinning like a maniac. The machine had confirmed her thoughts, and she had to admit, she was surprised. It took him two hundred years to finally start his plan, but he had gained one hell of a piece. That rage, and that skill... With him, Schenberg's plan just might come true.

"So long as Britannia exists, war will exist." Zero said, walking toward Exia with unfaltering steps. "So long as war exists, Britannia will exist. And that is why I will-no, I shall... obliterate Britannia."

The woman's grin became wider. 'To think that someone like him would become apart of your plan, Schenberg...' she thought in amazement. 'Even in death, you never cease to amaze me.'

"Mind if I ask you something?" she stopped the boy once he was right next to her. Zero looked at her, as if contemplating whether or not he should kill her. After all, she had found out about his identity, and the orders are clear that no one should know the truth behind the Gundam Meisters. "If you were granted even greater power... would you be able to strive even further?"

"What?"

The woman wrapped her hand around his. In that one instant, Zero felt his entire world turn to white, the woman standing before him seemingly vanishing and reappearing in a white space, over and over like flashes. He himself was no exception, he felt his body vanish and reappear at several different places, as if it were constantly moving. He could see images flashing by in this white space, children dressed in flowing white garments with some kind of insignia on her head, two planets in a void with the sun emerging.

_"You have a reason to live, a reason to fight."_ the woman's voice echoed out to him, despite the fact that she stood before him. _"I propose a contract. In exchange for power, you will help me grant my one true wish."_

'W-what is this...?' Zero's thoughts spun around, watching the white void becoming replaced by a blue stream, various colors flying past him while body seemed to be caught in a torrent of some kind. 'What's going on?'

_"You will be given power unlike any other. You'll be living as a different person, in a different world, leading a different life. However, be warned boy. The power of the King will forever force you into a life of isolation and solitude."_

The light had come to an end, and Zero found himself floating in the air, watching several people on some kind of platform without a solid hold. The platform seemingly stood in the air, while the scenery was beautiful, an orange-tinted sky very much like a sunset without the sun present. He could see men in robes standing beside what could only be considered a giant of a man, his hair white and regal while wearing fine clothes with a cape draped over his shoulders.

_"Do you what it takes, Lelouch vi Britannia?"_ the woman asked him. _"To create? To choose? The destruction? The decision? What is your answer?"_

The moment Zero heard his voice, which resounded like thunder; he felt all that anger and rage raise to the surface all at once. "A divergence with the Ragnarok Connection? So the legend is beginning once again?"

"**Very well!"** Zero screamed out in the white void that had returned, black cracks forming all around him as he screamed out his anger and rage. **"I accept the terms of your contract!"**

And with that, the Gundam Meister of Celestial Being had become a different person, living in a different world, leading a different life. Let it be known to the world that Zero, or rather, Lelouch vi Britannia, had been granted the power of the King...

It was on this day that a demon had been born.

**~~~Code Geass: The Miraculous Birthday~~~**

"God damned Britannians!" Kallen screamed out as she shot her Glasgow's slash harken forward, piercing the hull of a Sutherland. The machine exploded, but it didn't wash away the bitterness and anger in her chest.

She knew how cruel they were, how willing they were to kill and take whatever was in front of them, but this? This spoke volumes about how truly cruel and twisted these people were. Kallen had never known such hatred could exist as she moved her Glasgow and slammed its foot down on the fallen Sutherland's cockpit, killing the pilot instantly.

_"Kallen, are you alright?!"_ Ohgi's voice screamed out at her through the radio. Kallen began to move away from the fierce hail of bullets and shoved the Glasgow into a small space between a pile of rubble and a pillar.

"I'll be fine, Ohgi!" the red head shot back fiercely, tears falling from her cheeks as she regretted activating the factsphere, seeing two children being gunned down by a pair of Britannian soldiers. "What about the others?!"

_"We can't reach them! We're completely surrounded and pinned down here! At this rate, we'll be wiped out in seconds!"_

"Don't worry, I'll-"

She was cut off by a pair of slash harkens nearly taking out her left leg. Looking up, she saw a Sutherland standing atop a roof with a rifle in its hands, looking rather smug and competent. It made Kallen sick and want to kill whoever was inside. However, just as she was about to retaliate, a stream of bullets took out the remnants of her right arm, thus losing what remained of the mechanical limb completely. It wasn't alone, as another Sutherland had accompanied it. "Dammit!" Kallen scowled, taking evasive action and dashing into a nearby alleyway.

She couldn't afford to die here, she had to live! If she died here, how could she face Naoto?! How could she face everyone who had risked their lives just to get to this point?! How could she even live with herself if all of her friends died because of her?!

Her eyes strayed to the energy gauge, and her eyes widened. "Only twenty minutes left... At this rate...!"

_"The west entrance."_

Kallen snapped to the radio taped to the cockpit. The voice was unfamiliar, but young as well, fifteen, maybe sixteen. "Head to the west entrance, and jump onto the tracks."

"Who is this?! How did you get this frequency?!" Kallen growled back in defiance. Who the hell did this guy think he was, ordering her around?!

However, when he spoke again, Kallen felt a shiver run down her spine._ "Do you wish to die here, woman? Do you want to die and see all your comrades come to the same fate? Or do you wish to live? More importantly... do you want to win?"_

"Win?" Kallen's breath hitched, her body suddenly going into autopilot and commanding the Glasgow to follow the mystery man's voice and move towards the tracks located at the west entrance. She saw that the two Sutherlands were chasing after her, thus forcing her to slam her foot down on the pedal and thrust the controls forward, increasing the Glasgow's speed. As soon as the tracks were within her sight, she fired off her slash harkens and hopped aboard, the land spinners grinding against the rails. "Okay, now what?"

_"A freight train will be arriving in less than thirty seconds. Ten seconds before impact, jump aboard it."_

Kallen didn't bother to question him as she saw the train in question. She still saw the two Sutherlands chasing after her, causing her to curse under her breath. As soon as it was right in front of her, the Glasgow bounced off its feet and landed atop the roof, skating forward while the train slammed into the Sutherland, forcing it into a halt.

Kallen's face paled when she saw the second Sutherland leap over its partner, with the intent to take her down, however her eyes widened when she saw the most incredible thing in all of her life. It was like a scene straight out of heaven, her eyes glued on to the sight and unable to look away. In mid-air, the Sutherland had been cleaved in half, separating the torso from the legs. The upper body flew off the tracks and slammed into the face of a building, the pilot ejecting shortly after.

The machine responsible for this action twirled in mid-air and its feet ripped apart the rails while its blade stopped its retreat. Seeing it in person, Kallen realized just how beautiful and powerful these Mobile Weapons truly were.

Standing there, looking every inch of the part it had earned as the White Devil, was a giant white mech with a blue torso and shoulders with some kind of cone-shaped piece located on its back, a flowing green light spewing out of it while a long blade, easily the length of its arms, was none other than the Gundam that had took out an entire military base.

Celestial Being had arrived, and they were not pulling any punches.

Kallen watched as the Gundam did not waste any moment in taking the initiative, completely ignoring the bullets that bounced off of its armor and let its blade cut through the Sutherland at a diagonal angle, the cockpit barely being spared from this fate as it quickly ejected from the main body. The destroyed Sutherland fell to the ground and exploded, leaving behind a blazing cloud in its wake, further adding to the Gundam's terrifying visage. "A-amazing..." Kallen breathed out, realizing that she had not taken a single breath this entire time. "So this... is the power of a Gundam."

The blue Gundam took a brief glance at her Glasgow before flying off, the green light it emitted growing brighter. Kallen watched it leave, a stunned expression on her face before she came back down to Earth. "Wait, is it possible that voice belonged to-"

"Kallen, are you alright?" Said woman blinked, looking past her monitor and seeing Ohgi and his group running toward her. "What the hell was that voice just now?"

"Wait, he contacted you too?" she asked, stunned. Ohgi said that the enemy had pinned down him and his friends not too long ago, and now here they were without a scratch on them. Just who in the world was this guy? How could he have pulled this off?

Obviously, he was not done surprising her yet as his voice came on again, this time through Ohgi's radio. _"I assume you're the leader of the resistance?"_

Ohgi looked a bit flustered being called that. Kallen bit her lip, wondering what he was still hesitating even now. Naoto said it himself, that if anything had ever happened to him, Ohgi would be the leader, so why was he still so against it? Everyone looked up to him the same way they did with Naoto. "Y-yeah."

_"Take a look inside the freight cars. You'll need them for your victory."_

The group looked hesitant, but they complied and opened up all the shutters. What was inside had truly left Kallen speechless, looking at the sight in complete awe. "Holy shit..."

"These are all... Sutherlands!" Ohgi breathed out, completely shocked that there were so many, and each one was armed with standard military arsenal. "How did he get a hold of all of these?"

_"Woman in the red Glasgow."_ Kallen jumped when she heard the man speak through her radio rather than Ohgi's. _"Recharge your energy filler. You and your unit will be running decoy. I'll contact you again shortly to discuss the mission plan."_

"Wait, hold on a minute!" Kallen stopped him from cutting off the communication. "Are you the pilot of that Gundam?!"

Her words caused the members of the resistance to whirl around and look at her in disbelief. "Whoa, back up, you telling me Celestial Being's here?!" Tamaki spluttered. "The hell do they want with Shinjuku?!"

_"Celestial Being stands against war, thus any who support or act within war are valid targets. Clovis la Britannia created poison gas, a weapon of chemical warfare. Thus, it was only natural Celestial Being would interfere. I intend to use their presence to our advantage."_

'So... he's not with Celestial Being then?' the half-Britannian wondered before asking the million dollar question. "So... who the hell are you?"

_"My name... is Zero!"_

_**Turn 3...END**_

_**The city of Shinjuku is stained red with blood, and the grip of Britannia is like an iron vice. The blade of those who challenge the world cuts through this steel grip, and stands against the white knight in his path. Which is just? One that wants to change the world from within, or one that wants to cut down this world's hypocrisy?**_

_**Next Time, Lancelot**_

_**The Demon of Celestial Being awakens from his slumber...**_

~~~Author's notes~~~

Ho-ly shit this is a lot of attention! I'm barely on the third chapter, and I'm getting a good reception already! Still, I wish I could have made Exia's debut in Shinjuku a bit longer, but I wanted to get this chapter out. Suffice to say, chapter 4 won't be released for a while, considering a lengthy bout between Exia and Lancelot. Well, not much to say here, other than... ON TO THE QUESTIONS!

1) R2 is still in the planning stages, but it will involve the Innovators from 00. Charles is going to be pissed, trust me~

2) Ali al-Saachez will appear, acting as a mercenary hired by a nameless shmo who doesn't like Zero all that much. But, for Saachez... "Yeah, this Zero is my kind of guy..." Enough said.

3) Lelouch's pairing is undecided. There is a poll on my profile, and the choices are listed there. No harems, however. Official pairings are SajiXLouis and SuzakuXEuphemia.

4) The ELS will appear in an OVA story titled Code Geass: Trailblazer, which will be posted when R2 is completed.

5) The title of season two is Code Geass: The Zero Requiem. That season will follow more of the 00 storyline than the Code Geass, but it will still be there.

6) The 00 storyline won't be dominant in the story until near the end, specifically until near the battle for Tokyo.

7) If you thought Lelouch was menacing in the anime, just keep reading. You'll see that Lelouch will be a hundred times more brutal, particularly when we reach Narita. I intend to make the Lelouch of Miraculous Birthday worthy of Lelouch's title as the Demon Emperor of Britannia.

8) Before you even ask, Sumeragi gave the OK for this action.

9) The Black Knights are still a central force in this story. To Lelouch, they will be the ones who will do what Celestial Being cannot: destroy Britannia.

10) C.C. chose Aeolia's plan over Charles, but her wish is still the same.

11) I intend to do an in-depth look at Kallen's brother, as I have read few fanfics involving Naoto Kouzuki. You'll be seeing him in The Zero Requiem.

Well, that's it for now. Until next time!


	4. Lancelot

**Code Geass: The Miraculous Birthday**

"We are Celestial Being, and our goal is the eradication of conflict." –Setsuna F. Seiei

_War is natural in this world, it is an unstoppable being that advances forth, born from the hatred of human existence. It breeds only anger, loss, sadness, grief, and in the end, only more war. It is an endless cycle of hatred that could never be broken._

_Japan, a neutral country, and the biggest manufacturer of Sakuradite, in the year of 2010, had come under the attack of Holy Britannian Empire, a giant behemoth that has already gained dominance over one third of the world. During the early stages of the invasion, Britannian had unveiled its latest weapon, which proved effective in the war._

_The Autonomous Armored Knight: codenamed Knightmare Frame. Their incredible power proved effective, as Japan fell in less than a month. The people had been stripped of their rights, their culture, their history, and in the end... even their own name had been taken from them._

_Area 11. A meager number had replaced the proud name of a proud country. The year is 2017, and even now, the flickers of war continue to burn. Currently, the three nations are at a standstill, each never gaining the upper hand. At one side is the Holy Britannian Empire, led by 98th Emperor Charles zi Britannia, and opposing them is the Chinese Federation and the European Union, dubbed the EU._

_Yes, even now, the world continues to play a grand zero sum game. However, behind these flames comes a new, unknown force that challenges the very world itself. They have announced their ideals, and standing against them is the very world itself. They had declared to all those born and bred on Earth that they shall eliminate war from this world._

_They simply call themselves... Celestial Being._

_Play "Daybreak's Bells"_

_Artist: L'Arc-en-Ciel_

_~Music Playing~_

_The camera plays images of the invasion of Japan: Knightmares shooting past alleyways with rifles at the ready, the people cowering underneath windows and anything they can use to hide. When the piano plays, the camera shoots upward and shows the 0 Gundam with a beam saber at the ready, standing behind the orange tinted sky. The camera then plays out the Geass sequence, the title appearing afterwards._

_~Nee konna katachi no deai shika nakatta no~_

_The camera shows Lelouch standing amidst the rubble of the ghettos, looking at the scene before turning sharply around, walking toward the blue Gundam, Exia, kneeling behind him._

_~Kanashii ne~_

_As he moves past an alleyway, a girl with red hair, Kallen, comes out with Ohgi and Tamaki in their resistance uniforms, walking toward an abandoned building where a meeting is being held._

_~Anata ni shinde mo ayamete hoshiku mo nai~_

_The scene shows a young Suzaku backing away from the kneeling form of Genbu Kururugi, his stomach stained red with blood with a knife sticking out. The screen plays out like an old film before showing an older Suzaku in his military uniform, performing a salute with the other soldiers that stand beside him._

_~Onegai~_

_The screen briefly shows Nunnally with Sayoko, the Ashford Academy cast standing beside her in a field of flowers before Nunnally looks up in wonder as a shadow passes by alongside a gust of wind._

_~Unmei sae nomikomare shizumisou na umi e to~_

_The camera shows the other Gundam Meisters in their respective places. Lockon stands over the graves of his parents and sister before walking away with a look of determination, passing his younger brother Lyle. Allelujah walks by Soma Peres in his casual clothes, the two not noticing each other, however when Allelujah passes by a glass window, Hallelujah grins evilly, learning at Soma. Tieria stands in an empty command center, looking at a screen before walking away, never faltering._

_~Negai yo kaze no notte yoake no kane o narase yo~_

_The screen shows Exia, Kyrios, Dynames, and Virtue heading off into battle. Exia's feet grind against the ground as it twirls around, cutting three Sutherlands in half before the camera shows Lelouch glaring darkly at the fallen machines. It cuts over to Allelujah zooming over the Tokyo Settlement before Kyrios transforms and comes down, cutting a Sutherland in half. An explosion occurs, showing Kyrios standing in the crimson cloud menacingly._

_~Tori no you ni My wishes over their airspace~_

_Dynames is seen sniping Sutherlands from the Saitama ghetto, Lockon grinning as he does so before the camera shows Virtue firing its beam cannon, evaporating every Sutherland in its path._

_~Musuu no nami o koe asu e tachimukau anata o~_

_Lelouch is seen standing in front of Nunnally, a look of surprise over his face as the girl smiles tearfully, her hands overlapping his before another gust of wind shoots by, the flowers being wiped away and revealing a glass-like surface reflecting the azure sky._

_~Mamoritamae My life I trade in for your pain~_

_The Ashford Academy cast is seen standing behind Nunnally, all of which with smiles on their faces before showing Cornelia and Euphemia alongside them, smiling at the scene in front of them. Guilford, Darlton, Jeremiah, and Villetta stand behind the two princesses quietly._

_~Arasoi yo tomare~_

_In a span of a few seconds, Lockon is seen sitting atop Dynames' shoulder, giving a wink, Allelujah in the base of Kyrios' hand. His bangs part slightly, revealing his golden eye. The last quick image shows Tieria sitting in Virtue's cockpit, adjusting his glasses before looking fiercely into the camera._

_~Mirai wa dare ni mo uchiotosenai~_

_The scene shows Lelouch tossing away his blue scarf into the air before the screen shows him in his Zero outfit, the Black Knights and the Gundam Meisters standing behind him with their respective Knightmares and Gundams standing behind them._

_The final scene shows Zero's mask lying on a desk, Lelouch's scarf beside it alongside a cracked black King chess piece._

_**Episode 4: Lancelot**_

Zero felt Exia's movements through his own body, as if some invisible thread linked the two. When he first went through the training to become a Meister, Lockon told him that, when he would find his true partner in life, he would know exactly who or what they would be. Now, he knew for sure that he and Exia were meant to be together, their actions in complete unison, their rage synced, and their strikes perfection.

With one single swipe of the blade, the Sutherland was severed into two pieces, both of which falling to the ground before exploding. Already sensing the presence of another enemy, Zero moved Exia back to avoid a pair of slash harkens before taking hold of the wire, pulling the machine toward him. "Die!" With a single thrust, the blade pierced through the chest and into the cockpit, killing the pilot in a single strike.

Tearing the blade out, Exia slammed its leg into the dead machine and tossed it away from it, its metal body bouncing around on the pavement before smacking into the side of a building. "Tch, not even worth mentioning." Zero said in disgust before opening his communications with the resistance cell. "Q-1, are you ready to engage?"

"Y-yes..." the voice of the woman piloting the crimson Glasgow replied meekly. Perhaps he had been a bit too intimidating when he introduced himself to the group, but when you thought about it, fear was a good thing. Fear kept you focused, kept you strong, kept you alert: meaning it helped you stay alive in a firefight. Still, he had to admit, the woman had guts to take on the Britannian military in a one-armed Glasgow. "You said I'm running decoy, right?"

"Correct." Zero confirmed. "P-1 will be heading towards the Northwest area with P-7, and P-5 will shoot through the wall when I give the signal. P-2, P-4, P-6, you three will go the Western part of the city, and await further orders. B-3 and N-8, you two will provide covering fire for Q-1. After you've completed these objectives, P-5 and B-3 will go to Q-1's location and provide support."

"Wait, how the hell do you know all of this?!" an obnoxious voice screamed out. Zero instantly didn't like him. He seemed like the type to think you were some kind of traitor or spy first, then when you proved yourself, he would try to kiss up to you. He hated those types of people just as badly as Britannians. "And why the hell should we trust you?"

"If you want to let innocent people die, be my guest." Zero said coldly, shutting the man up instantly. "Anyone else who has problems with my strategy can leave if they want to. Just don't try to come crying back when you find out that you're loved ones were gunned down by Britannians simply because you couldn't give me the benefit of a doubt."

He knew it was harsh, but it was the truth. They either had to act and be quick, or lose what they loved simply because of their hesitation. There was a chilling silence until another man spoke up, the leader of the resistance cell. "Everyone, check your weapons!"

"Wha-Ohgi?!" the obnoxious voice said in aghast. "You shittin me?!"

"He has a point, Tamaki." the man named Ohgi said, his voice calm and gentle. Zero could tell immediately that he must have had experience dealing with immature children. Perhaps he was a school teacher before the invasion? "The more we argue, the more people die. Let's put our trust in Zero for now. He did save Kallen, didn't he?"

"...Tch, fine! Whatever!"

Zero smiled thinly, seeing that Ohgi was indeed quite the leader. Perhaps he could trust this little rag-tag group after all, provided they followed his orders down to the letter. "Now then, is everyone ready to begin?"

"Ready as I'll ever be..." Q-1 stated.

"We're all good, Zero." Ohgi informed the Meister. "Give the signal."

"Tch, you had better keep your end of the bargain, bastard!" Tamaki snarled, but complied with the former prince's strategy and chose to follow orders.

With that, Zero gave out a smile that belonged to the devil himself. "Then let's begin."

**~~~Code Geass: The Miraculous Birthday~~~**

"Having a rather horrible day, are we?" was the first thing Suzaku heard as he opened his eyes, seeing an unfamiliar ceiling above him while two people were at his side, both he had never met before. One was a young man, probably in his early to mid-twenties, with light hair and blue eyes with glasses sitting on the bridge of his nose, dressed in a long white lab coat. Beside him was a woman with blue hair coming down to the chin, dressed in a military uniform with an armband around her left bicep, and a clipboard in her hands. "Looks like you just missed the chance to go to heaven, Private Kururugi."

At first, the Honorary Britannian was confused until he remembered running into Lelouch after seven years of searching, and then being shot by the Royal Guard. Panicking and worrying about his friend's safety, Suzaku bolted upright-

He gasped in pain, clutching his right ribs. "Wouldn't do that if I were you, kiddo." the man said in a jovial tone, as if he wasn't at all worried about the boy. "If it weren't for this little gizmo, you'd probably have blood flooding into your lungs."

The man removed something from his pocket and handed it back to Suzaku. He almost recoiled when his fingers grazed against the cracked glass, but took it into his hands and stared at it. How ironic that it would be his father's pocketwatch that saved him. "You Elevens believe that there are all sorts of Gods living in your every-day daily lives and in common objects. I'm guessing this one-"

"Wait, where's Le-" Suzaku stopped himself. He had almost forgotten that Lelouch was, and still is to this very day, an exiled prince of Britannia. He also knew that his friend had obviously not forfeited his rage towards his own country, if there meeting was any indication. "...What's the situation?"

"Still in the ghetto, I'm afraid." the man shrugged. "The only good thing about this is that we're right next to the Prince's G-1 transport, so it's the safest place right now... or at least it was until a few minutes ago."

"Huh?" Suzaku blinked, unsure of what the man was getting at. "What do you mean?"

It was the woman who responded instead of the strange man. "We received a report that a Mobile Weapon has been sighted in the Shinjuku ghetto." she said with a calm and serene tone. However, when she said Mobile Weapon, Suzaku froze. 'The terrorists actually have an MS?' he thought in horror. 'How did they-'

"And better yet, it belongs to that little anti-war group, Celestial Being was it?" the man said jovially, turning to the woman with a grin. "I have to say, ever since seeing that footage, I've been dying to see it up close. That little light of it acts as a sort of propulsion system. Heck, who knows? That might as well be our answer to solving our problem with the Float."

The woman sighed in exasperation. "Honestly, Lloyd..."

Suzaku was tuning them out. He hadn't missed what Lloyd had said earlier. 'Celestial Being's here...' he thought, both of his hands clasping together. 'They must have found out about the poison gas. Then, that would mean the Shinjuku ghetto is their target for one of their armed intervention...'

Suzaku still had doubts about Celestial Being's goals. Ever since he had seen what that blue Gundam had done, he saw how brutal it had been towards the soldiers, the menacing aura and the bloodcurdling hatred practically seeping off its very body. So far, from what he had seen and heard, this group believed they could end war with more war. When he had killed his father, he had been plagued by unending nightmares and the constant reminder of what he had done, impaling his father's heart with a knife.

He didn't want to see innocent people die anymore, and not especially for someone else's ambitions.

"Oh, by the way..." Suzaku removed himself from his thoughts and turned to the strange man, Lloyd he thinks the woman called him. He had bent down onto his knees and held up an ignition key, but it was very different from the ones he had seen. "How much experience do you have piloting a Knightmare, Private Kururugi?"

That took the Honorary Britannian off-guard. Looking at the key closer, he saw that it was the same type as the ignition keys for the Knightmares. Being able to pilot a Knightmare meant that you had obtained the status of a Knight, however if you were an Honorary Britannian, or a Number for that matter, you wouldn't be able to pilot one. "B-but, I'm an Honorary Britannian." he reasoned with the man, seeing what he was offering him. "There's no way I could become a knight."

"Well, supposing you could..." Lloyd said, a smirk slowly settling upon his face. After a while, Suzaku finally relented.

"I received one of the highest marks on the simulator. However, there's a fine difference between the real thing and-"

"Wonderful!" Suzaku nearly fell off the bed when the man stood up with a giant grin. "Congratulations, you're the lucky son of a bitch who gets to pilot the only Knightmare of its kind! Once you get in this bad boy, you're whole world is going to change!"

"Whether you want it to or not." the woman added with a smile. "My name is Cecile Croomy. Pleasure to be working with you, Suzaku Kururugi."

For some reason or another, Suzaku felt as if he had just signed a deal with a devil.

**~~~Code Geass: The Miraculous Birthday~~~**

Exia had just finished lopping off the head of another Sutherland when Zero gained a transmission from one of the resistance cell members. They had completed their objective, and were now moving into Phase 2. 'The web is nearly set...' the former prince thought with a wicked grin appearing on his face as his Gundam moved into the air, surveying the area while observing the work of his new allies. 'That woman in the Glasgow works fast. The estimated time of completion was thirty minutes, but she did it in fifteen. Impressive. She would probably be a skilled Gundam Meister.'

"Q-1, do you have a map of the city?" Zero asked her, swooping down into the eastern part of the ghetto and attacking a squadron mercilessly. The trick was to induce psychological damage first, show them that you are superior than them, and allow fear to settle in their minds. After that, the rest is child's play.

"Yes, but it's before the invasion." the crimson-haired woman responded. "It doesn't have any landmarks."

"It will suffice for now." Zero said, allowing Exia to tear off the arm of a Sutherland before ending its life with a single swipe of its blade. The machine exploded after the Mobile Weapon jumped back and rammed its knee into the 'abdomen' of the second Britannian Knightmare. "Use the underground tunnels and enter the central area. Have two other units accompany you. It's high time for our dear prince to learn his place."

He ended communications there and delivered the final strike, Exia's blade beheading the machine before continuing its onslaught and decapitating its legs and torso in a brutal yet effective manner. It didn't matter if the person in front of him was Britannian or a lapdog that chose to become an Honorary Britannian; he was going to kill them all from where they stood. No one was going to stop him here, not even the Knights of the Round.

"I'll make you all pay..." Zero growled out as Exia resonated with its Meister, its eyes flashing bright green before leaping back into the air and seeking out its next target.

**~~~Code Geass: The Miraculous Birthday~~~**

Clovis had never known fear of such lengths before. At first, it was anxiety of that immortal woman's disappearance. If his father or anyone else learned about her, he was likely to lose everything, become disinherited, and worst case scenario, executed. When the terrorists appeared, and began to deal heavy blows to them, Clovis had begun to sweat bullets, realizing that if word got out about this, he would be ridiculed, and the possibility of disinherit high.

However, when word reached that Celestial Being had appeared, Clovis nearly broke down into tears. "How in the hell did this happen?!" he screeched as he watched more and more of his soldiers fall, whether at the hands of the terrorists or CB. "Bartley, what is the status of our forces?!"

The bald military researcher, rather portly and round in the belly, sweated fiercely as he rubbed his handkerchief against his soaked skin. "W-we have 25% of our forces guarding the encirclement, and over 40% of the remaining forces have been eliminated by either these Eleven rats or that Gundam, sir!" he reported. Clovis bit his lip as he shot up from his throne and stomped toward the man.

"Order all forces, including Lazo Squad to converge and attack the central point!" he demanded, thus leaving the other soldiers' eyes to widen. Lazo Squad was probably one of the mid-tier groups, but their strength was undeniable, and their teamwork top-notch. However, the problem with this deployment plan was that Lazo squad was working on keeping the encirclement intact.

"My lord that will break the encirclement!" Bartley cried out.

Clovis glared back at the officer, causing the man to flinch. "I don't care! We must destroy the terrorists immediately! We will focus on Celestial Being later! Take out those Eleven pieces of trash in one fell swoop!"

**~~~Code Geass: The Miraculous Birthday~~~**

"Oh, now that's an even idiotic move than I thought you would play, Clovis." Zero said in disappointment before opening the communications channel again. "Q-1, are you in position?"

"Yes." Q-1 answered him. "If... you don't mind me asking, Zero... what do you want me to do?"

"In exactly twenty-five seconds, you will fire your slash harkens directly above you five meters up and two feet to the left. You'll be bringing every last Britannian scum down through the floor. You'll have a window of ten seconds to escape before the entire area collapses."

"W-wait, what?!" He understood her surprise. "If we don't get out, we'll be crushed!"

"And if you don't, then you'll live, and you will continue to fight against Britannia." Zero replied calmly. "Besides, ten seconds is more than enough time for you. Ever heard of shoot while running? Who said the same principles couldn't apply to a Knightmare and a slash harken?"

There was a tense silence before Q-1 answered him, her voice icy and spiteful. "Tch, fine! When this is over, you had better tell us who you really are!"

"All in do time, Q-1." Zero said before ending communications. With that, he looked ahead at the G-1 transport, which had only five Sutherlands on guard. "With this, Clovis la Britannia..."

"I call check."

**~~~Code Geass: The Miraculous Birthday~~~**

Clovis watched in horror as, one after another, every IFF signal went from blue to red, each red band reading "LOST". If there were any survivors, they were quickly being snuffed out by something, most likely Celestial Being. 'My God... They really are monsters!' Clovis thought in horror, taking a step back. All of his forces... decimated in one fell swoop! 'Are they collaborating with the terrorists? Who's controlling them? Wait, what if they have someone better than Kyoshiro Tohdoh?!' That thought nearly made him soil his breeches. To know that there could be someone who was even more dangerous than the famed Miracle Worker of the Japan Liberation Front had terrified him even more than Celestial Being, but if this person was working alongside them, then...!

"Dammit, Lloyd Asplund!" the blonde prince screamed at the front monitor, which showed the jovial man that had enlisted Suzaku's help earlier. "Can my brother's weapon defeat them?!"

"Please, my prince..." Lloyd smiled as he pushed his glasses up, his voice suddenly losing its jovial tone and becoming fierce and confident. "Do call it by it's name... Lancelot."

**~~~Code Geass: The Miraculous Birthday~~~**

Zero couldn't believe it... he had actually done it.

The cockpit was filled with the sound of giggles, then chuckles, and then full on laughter. The black haired Meister threw his head back, eyes closed and his arms holding his stomach. "I did it! I really did it, didn't I?!" he said once he gained his laughing fit under control, his smile deranged. "I can do it! I can completely obliterate Britannia! I won't even need this power!"

He couldn't help but look back on his life. From being exiled, from being made a political hostage, and then losing everything he cared about. Celestial Being had discovered him several years later, made a Gundam Meister at the age of fifteen, only a year ago if he remembers correctly. He watched the world pass by him, watching as Britannia continued to indulge in its own chaos. He knew that the world Celestial Being sought could be made reality, but if Britannia continued to exist, such a world wouldn't come about. That's why he chose this path, to do what Celestial Being could not do. Even if meant turning against them, he would do whatever it took to make the world of Aeolia Schenberg's dream a reality, even if it meant destroying Celestial Being in the process.

"I'll the make the world you wanted, Nunnally..." Zero muttered under his breath, a hand over his face. "Once I destroy Britannia... and find out who killed mother... I swear to you... I'll create the world you wanted to see for so long..."

He was brought out of his musings by a communication alert. The ID code was one he recognized, though it didn't belong with the resistance cell that he had been using up until now. "Sumeragi Lee Noriega." he greeted the tactical forecaster. "The Armed Intervention was a success."

"So I saw." Sumeragi sighed, the image of her appearing on the monitor as she shook her head, a hand dragging down her face. "And I also saw that you really need to learn to control that temper of yours. I know what Britannia has done in the past, especially what is has done to you most of all, but anger clouds judgment. Unless you learn to control your hate, you will only drag yourself and those around you down into a long dark pit that you may not be able to find your way out of."

Zero hid his scowl, nodding slowly. Who the hell did she think she was, talking to him like she knew what he had gone through? She didn't have a sister, and she sure as hell didn't watch her die right in front of her eyes. "Sorry, Sumeragi."

"Well, so long as you understand." Sumeragi nodded before noticing his other occupant. Zero had immediately remembered that he had brought that strange woman, the one named C.C., with him into his little escapade against Britannia. She stared long and hard before developing a lecherous grin. "My word, perhaps I spoke to soon."

"W-wait, this isn't what you think!"

"Oh, I think I do know what this is." Sumeragi teased him. "You've finally gotten yourself a girlfriend. I should have known Lockon would have rubbed off on you. But, still, taking a girl to an Armed Intervention with you out on a first date? Not exactly the best of ideas, kiddo."

"Dammit woman!" Zero cursed this woman for her stupidity. It was like he was dealing with that damned Milly Ashford girl from back when he was still a prince! "I keep telling you that this isn't a date or anything of the sort! She knows about Celestial Being, including our plans and goals!"

Immediately, Sumeragi lost her cheerful vigor and teasing grin and developed a cold-hardened face that should have belonged to her in the first place. "Is this true?" she asked the green-haired woman, who nodded in response. "I see..."

"If you're worried I'll interfere, don't be." C.C. informed the woman. "Just have Veda do a check on me, and look for file CGLOR00."

Before Sumeragi could demand what she meant by that, Lockon had moved into the screen with a giant smirk that made Zero pale. "Hot damn, way to go buddy!"

'Bunch of idiots!' Zero screamed in his head as a chibi version of him was flailing his arms around in despair for his allies' stupidity. 'How in the hell did I get stuck with these fools in the first place?!'

**~~~Code Geass: The Miraculous Birthday~~~**

When Suzaku slipped the ignition key into the slot, he could feel strange warmth encompass him, the machine's humming passing through his body as if it were water. His hands tightened around the controls, despite his body becoming relaxed.

He watched the startup program run pass him with the words that had engraved themselves into his mind scroll across the screen, reading "Marching Ever Onwards Toward Tomorrow". Truly, they left an impact on him as the machine had finally whirred to life, the limbs becoming tense, and the legs bent for launch.

Suzaku took a deep breath, the faces of Nunnally and Lelouch and the girl inside that capsule flashing by in his head. "Okay then, here goes..." he breathed out before snapping his eyes open, green orbs blazing with determination. "Suzaku Kururugi, in Lancelot...launching!"

As soon as the cables disconnected from the machine, Lancelot went straight out of the deployment gate at top speed, the land spinners grinding against the ground as he sped off towards the battlefield. The force of the take-off had knocked Lloyd and Cecile along with several other officers back, though the man was laughing. "Full throttle, right out of the gate!"

Suzaku leaned in forward as soon as he passed through the northwest overpass, Lancelot literally leaping off the ground and grinding its wheels against a slanted building before leaping off again, using its slash harkens to pull itself out of the air and back onto the main road. As soon as he caught sight of his first target, he commanded the white Knightmare to take hold of its blades and charge through.

'Lloyd said that these swords aren't fully developed, but...' Before the Sutherland even had time to raise its rifle, Lancelot had cut its arm and leg off before taking out its head, the cockpit ejecting moments before the remnants of the Knightmare exploded. 'They're still capable of taking out Knightmares!' Moving on to the next target, the Lancelot moved fluidly, dancing past barrage after barrage of bullets and taking down targets, but never killing them. His mission was to bring an end to all of this fighting, not kill.

As soon as the next group of Sutherlands came into view, Suzaku realized that he would have to kick things up a notch by using that special system Lloyd had mentioned earlier in the manual. He had to admit, when he first read about it, it seemed like a fantasy, but if it was possible, then this could even the playing field quite easily if the Lancelot were ever mass-produced.

As soon as the storm of bullets was upon him, the Lancelot raised up its arm in defense, a green barrier expanding from its forearm. This was the Blaze Luminous system, which had been designed for the sole purpose of defending against physical attacks such as stun Tonfa and rifles and such. Of course, seeing bullets repel of the shield itself helped Suzaku realize that this was truly happening.

"With this..." his voice rose as he drove into the thick of battle, his swords slashing through every enemy he came across. "I can bring an end to all this useless fighting! I have to save Lelouch and that girl, for Nunnally's sake!"

With resolution burning as brightly as an inferno, the Lancelot launched into the air, evading another stream of bullets before landing in front of the enemy Sutherland, cutting off its arms and legs before watching the cockpit eject from the machine just in time before it exploded.

Every time a Sutherland was destroyed, Suzaku could only feel his worry grow. By now, he had taken out at least ten to twenty Knightmares, but he had yet to spot one of the infamous Gundams that were used by Celestial Being. He was also worried by the fact that, by now, the ten minute mark had passed by already. 'I hope Lelouch and the girl are safe-'

He was cut off from his thoughts when his hands instantly grew tighter around the controls, ordering Lancelot to jump back. Suzaku watched as a apartment complex nearly fell on top of him, crushing the street below it. 'If I hadn't moved away at the last second...' Suzaku thought before looking to the side.

He felt dread creep up on him, watching the white and blue mech closely, as if waiting for it to make a move. "So that's the Gundam that took down that military base..."

**~~~Code Geass: The Miraculous Birthday~~~**

"So this is the Knightmare that's been decimating the terrorists?" Zero asked, glaring heatedly at the white mech. Despite his anger at it, he had to say, it was truly impressive. It was a full two heads bigger than the Sutherland with white armor and golden trims, carrying a pair of twin blades. "Tch, nothing more than a nuisance!"

**~~~Code Geass: The Miraculous Birthday~~~**

"I understand why you despise war so much..." Suzaku said, though the audio feed wasn't active, so the pilot wouldn't be able to hear his voice. "Believe, I know full well... But attacking those that promote and participate in war is wrong! You can't just decide who's worth killing and who's not!"

The Lancelot responded to its Devicer's will and placed itself in a battle stance, swiping the blades in an X-shaped fashion.

**~~~Code Geass: The Miraculous Birthday~~~**

"You Britannians do nothing but watch as you take away everything from innocent people..." Zero growled, his fingers gripping the controls tightly with his eyes burning. "You keep on saying that men aren't equal, and that you're superior... Well, guess what? I'm going to destroy that so-called superiority! I'm going to cut it down to pieces! I'LL KILL EVERY BRITANNIAN THAT GETS IN MY WAY, REGARDLESS OF WHO THEY ARE!"

Exia felt its pilot's rising anger, and its eyes flashed before aiming its blade at the white Knightmare, yet its posture was poised.

Neither side moved, it was as if one was waiting for the other to strike. There were small movements, but neither mech moved an inch. A gust of wind passed by, blowing up smoke created from falling debris while survivors watched the two carefully, as if the scene was like that of a western film and the battle between two gunners.

Suzaku gulped while Zero felt a bead of sweat run down his face before a bird shot up into the sky.

And then, they finally began their duel.

"**Ichirin no Hana: High and Might Color"**

Lancelot made the first move, dashing forward at a speed that Zero had not expected, its silver blades clashing against Exia's, nearly forcing the Mobile Weapon back. "Don't get cocky!" the former prince snarled as Exia stood its ground against the Knightmare, knocking it back and taking the offensive. Using the thrusters built into its legs, the White Devil leaped into the air and spun its body, the blade ready to cut the machine down to size. However, Lancelot was no ordinary Knightmare, simply not because it was the first Seventh-Generation Knightmare Frame. Besides having high-quality Sakuradite for its core, traces of that same material could be found all over the armor. Of course, it wasn't just that which made the Lancelot the crown jewel of A.S.E.E.C. Besides Sakuradite, a mysterious alloy, the very same used to construct Mobile Suit Weapons, was also used, thus granting the Lancelot nearly indestructible armor.

"I can't lose here!" Suzaku declared as Lancelot used its speed against Exia, moving away at the last second from the attack that would have taken off its arms before taking one of its incomplete MVS blades and thrusting it forward into the Mobile Weapon's right arm. However, to the Honorary Britannian's surprise, the blade was stopped dead. It was then that Suzaku realized that the plating on its arm wasn't just meant to act as some kind of support for the blade, but it was apart of the sword itself. "It's a shield?!"

"Don't underestimate Exia!" Zero snapped back, knocking the Lancelot's attack back and retaliating with a roundhouse kick. The white Knightmare activated the Blaze Luminous before the impact came. The strength behind the kick was enough to send the Lancelot flying, soaring through the air before its back grinded against the pavement, sending Suzaku into a series of jolts inside the cockpit.

(Meanwhile, Lloyd was throwing a temper tantrum for that 'accursed' Gundam for hurting his dear Lancelot while Cecile was trying to calm the man down.)

Suzaku groaned, rubbing the back of his head when it had slammed against the seat while he was being tossed around. He looked at the monitor, and immediately panicked when he saw Exia directly above him, about to skewer him with its sword. "Oh, shit!" Immediately, he regained control of Lancelot and brought up the Blaze Luminous shield in time to block the attack. Using this opportunity, Suzaku fired off his slash harkens.

They hit their target dead on, striking the arm and the leg. Zero cursed as he felt the machine shuddered from the attack and immediately backed off, jumping back and placing Exia into a stance, the arm pulled back with the other arm extended outward, the fingertips touching the very tip of the blade. "Nothing more but a damned pilot..." he growled, glaring at the machine in full-on hatred. Though the machine was obviously better than the Gloucester, he wasn't about to let this damned thing make a fool out of him. "You're going to pay for that!"

"#e##..."

Zero was about to charge back when he heard communications spark to life.

"Ze#o... Zero! Can you hear me?!" the voice of operator Feldt Grace came through past the static. "We saw damage readings on Exia! What's goin on?"

"Dealing with some new model..." Zero grumbled, still glaring at the machine. It wasn't moving, as if it were waiting for him to make a move and respond in kind. "It's better than the Gloucester Knightmares. Can you run a diagnostic?"

"Hold on..." There was a pause for a few seconds before Feldt returned. "According to the information, that's A.S.E.E.C's latest weapon, the Seventh-Generation Knightmare Frame Lancelot. From what is found on Veda's systems, A.S.E.E.C was created by the second prince of Britannia, Schneizel el Britannia, and operates outside the jurisdiction of the military. The Lancelot was created based off the combat capabilities and performances of a Mobile Weapon. Since it's still an experimental weapon, it can't operate a full capacity unless it has a skilled Devicer, however if mass-produced and perfected, it could take on even a Mobile Weapon." Zero's eyes widened when he heard this. A Knightmare that was capable of going head to head with even an MS? How was that even possible?

"Who's the pilot?" he asked, losing his earlier aggression, now being replaced by a newfound tension.

"They must have only found one recently, because there's no one on record." Feldt informed him. "Veda recommends capturing the machine if possible. However, if it becomes too much of a threat, destroy it and salvage what you can."

"Understood." With that, the communication came to an end. "What a nuisance..."

"Will you destroy it?" C.C. asked from behind him, peeking over his shoulder with a curious expression. "Or will you try to capture it?"

Zero's eyes told her everything there was to know, and inhaled deeply before breathing out, the tension in his body leaving him. 'Calm down, you're letting your emotions get the best of you...' the voice from within told him. 'Only Lelouch vi Britannia would allow his emotions to take hold like that. You are not the eleventh prince anymore. You are... a Gundam Meister.'

The anger and despair vanished from his eyes, and his scowl gone. "Zero, in Exia..." he spoke with a deadly cold voice, glaring back at the white Knightmare, now sensing a newfound bloodlust. "Beginning elimination."

And that was when Exia awakened to its moniker as "Seven Swords".

Suzaku barely had time to bring Lancelot's blades up to defend against the strike, as Exia shot forward and thrusted the blade quickly, steel grinding against steel, sparks flying into the air. Suzaku was about to fire off his slash harkens when he saw the machine's other arm move to its hip, and brandished another weapon.

Suzaku paled. "Oh, son of a..."

It was a beam saber.

"Lloyd, can the Blaze Luminous defend against a beam saber?!" Suzaku asked in panic, earning an immediate response, though equally in shock and fear.

"No, it can't! You had better dodge, otherwise I swear, Suzaku Kururugi, you're-"

Lloyd's voice drowned out of his ears as Exia swung its arm, intend on cutting Lancelot in half. Suzaku commanded the Knightmare to let go of its MVS Swords, allowing him to move away just in time. The swords pierced into the ground, the concrete cracking beneath the sheer level of strength. Using his slash harkens, Suzaku moved away from the White Devil quickly, the land spinners grinding against the buildings for additional speed.

"Something's different here..." Suzaku panted, feeling sweat running down his face as he evaded another attack from Exia, leaping off the building and onto an overpass. "He's acting differently than he was before... it's as if he's forgone his emotions altogether..."

This scared him. 'Hatred makes you make mistakes that could cost you, I know that all too well during the academy. But, if you lose emotions, then there's nothing stopping you. You could kill thousands of people and not care...' For some reason, Suzaku couldn't help but feel pity for the pilot of the Gundam. 'I wonder how painful it must be, to lose all feeling for the sake of just one damned mission... Moreover, I can't help but wonder who exactly the people piloting these Gundams feel about their mission...'

**~~~Code Geass: The Miraculous Birthday~~~**

Kallen moved in quickly, using her land spinners and her slash harkens to the fullest as she evaded Sutherlands and tanks, despite how few they were in number. The one who had contacted them, Zero, had not informed them about their next move since that new model had appeared. "I know this Glasgow won't even compare to a Gundam, but at the very least..."

As soon as she came upon the two, she saw that the white Knightmare was practically running for dear life away from the Gundam, which looked every inch the White Devil it had been named by Britannia. She was still in complete awe at the green light that flowed out from its back, looking as if it had come from a new world.

As soon as they were around the corner, the new model used its slash harkens to pull itself up right as the Gundam turned, looking up to see the white Knightmare came straight at it in full speed. Kallen immediately moved in, firing her slash harkens and shooting forward, the pull of the wires increasing her speed. As soon as he was within range, she equipped her Stun Tonfa and rammed it into the new model's face.

"This is me saying sorry for using you guys!" Kallen shouted through the speaker, knocking the new model away.

**~~~Code Geass: The Miraculous Birthday~~~**

"She saved me?" Zero asked, surprise on his face for a brief second before scoffing. "Whatever. The mission takes priority."

"My, how devoted you are, Lelouch vi Britannia." C.C. stated with a smile. Zero looked at her with dead eyes, eyes that once held burning anger. Though, if one were to look closely, the flames still raged on deeply beneath a glacier of ice.

"Do not call me that." he told her. "Lelouch vi Britannia died seven years ago. All who see a Gundam will not live to tell the tale."

"If you are not the exiled prince of Britannia, then who are you?"

His answer was one she should have expected.

"I am Zero, a Gundam Meister of Celestial Being... and the one who will destroy Britannia and eliminate war from this world."

_**Turn 4...END**_

_**The demon's cry is heard through the depths of hell, and the knight chained in despair. Death is all that awaits him, but the demon will not allow one who has killed him to die in such a way. There is still work to be done.**_

_**Next Episode, The Man of Miracles**_

_**And so, the demon takes up the mask of the damned...**_

~~~Author's Notes~~~

Sorry for now updating sooner, I have been dealing with school work and updating my other stories. Speaking of which, I can't believe how popular R-eset has become! Seriously, I'm almost at 100 favorites! I have no idea what to say to that!

Well, unto the questions.

1) I had to make a few tweaks to Lancelot, due to the vast difference between GN powered Gundams and Knightmares in general pre-R2. Albion could take on Exia no problem, but 00 Raiser? Lloyd had best start working on new equipment, for his creation is going to be sent to the garbage heap in seconds, especially when Raiser enters Trans-Am.

2) The reason why Lelouch was so emotional was because, well, he had just reunited with his friend, who he had thought to have died seven years ago with Nunnally, only to see him get shot before his eyes. Obviously he is gonna be pissed. Don't worry though, fans of emo Lelouch, you'll see a bit more of him in future chapters, particular near the end of the series.

3) Yes, Lelouch is going behind CB's back with the creation of the Black Knights. To be honest, I'm surprised people guessed that so quickly. Was it really that obvious?

4) In regards to whether or not I will add Alice from Nightmare of Nunnally, I have only just begun venturing into the spin-offs, starting with Akito the Exiled. Let me do more research in that regard before I make any more decisions.

5) Lelouch's pairings is undecided, but a poll is going on in my profile page. This pairing will be final, and the poll will be closed after Chapter 10 of Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion R-eset is completed. Keep in mind that, besides SajiXLouis and SuzakuXEuphie, there is also AllelujahXSoma/Marie and LockonXFeldt.

6) The Trinity Siblings will be appearing much earlier than you think. They'll be taking quite an interest in Zero's activities, especially Nena Trinity. After all, she loves bat-shit crazy people since she herself is bat-shit crazy.

7) The Meisters of Code Geass: The Zero Requiem are as follows: Tieria Erde in Seravee, Lockon Stratos (Lyle Dylandy) in Cherudim, Allelujah Haptism in Arios, Setsuna F. Seiei in Exia, Kallen Kouzuki in Dragoon, Suzaku Kururugi in Wizel, and Zero in 00. There will be one other Meister, but I'll keep him secret for the time being~

8) No, C.C. will not become a Meister in the story. She will remain on the sidelines for most of the series, but that is not to say she will be a pilot.

9) The A-Laws will appear in The Zero Requiem, but Louis will not be a member.

Well, that's it for now! See you guys next chapter! Please tell me what you thought, and I'll see if I can improve!


	5. The Man of Miracles

Code Geass: The Miraculous Birthday

"I'll snipe God from his throne." –Lockon Stratos

War is natural in this world, it is an unstoppable being that advances forth, born from the hatred of human existence. It breeds only anger, loss, sadness, grief, and in the end, only more war. It is an endless cycle of hatred that could never be broken.

Japan, a neutral country, and the biggest manufacturer of Sakuradite, in the year of 2010, had come under the attack of Holy Britannian Empire, a giant behemoth that has already gained dominance over one third of the world. During the early stages of the invasion, Britannian had unveiled its latest weapon, which proved effective in the war.

The Autonomous Armored Knight: codenamed Knightmare Frame. Their incredible power proved effective, as Japan fell in less than a month. The people had been stripped of their rights, their culture, their history, and in the end... even their own name had been taken from them.

Area 11. A meager number had replaced the proud name of a proud country. The year is 2017, and even now, the flickers of war continue to burn. Currently, the three nations are at a standstill, each never gaining the upper hand. At one side is the Holy Britannian Empire, led by 98th Emperor Charles zi Britannia, and opposing them is the Chinese Federation and the European Union, dubbed the EU.

Yes, even now, the world continues to play a grand zero sum game. However, behind these flames comes a new, unknown force that challenges the very world itself. They have announced their ideals, and standing against them is the very world itself. They had declared to all those born and bred on Earth that they shall eliminate war from this world.

They simply call themselves... Celestial Being.

Play "Daybreak's Bells"

Artist: L'Arc-en-Ciel

~Music Playing~

The camera plays images of the invasion of Japan: Knightmares shooting past alleyways with rifles at the ready, the people cowering underneath windows and anything they can use to hide. When the piano plays, the camera shoots upward and shows the 0 Gundam with a beam saber at the ready, standing behind the orange tinted sky. The camera then plays out the Geass sequence, the title appearing afterwards.

~Nee konna katachi no deai shika nakatta no~

The camera shows Lelouch standing amidst the rubble of the ghettos, looking at the scene before turning sharply around, walking toward the blue Gundam, Exia, kneeling behind him.

~Kanashii ne~

As he moves past an alleyway, a girl with red hair, Kallen, comes out with Ohgi and Tamaki in their resistance uniforms, walking toward an abandoned building where a meeting is being held.

~Anata ni shinde mo ayamete hoshiku mo nai~

The scene shows a young Suzaku backing away from the kneeling form of Genbu Kururugi, his stomach stained red with blood with a knife sticking out. The screen plays out like an old film before showing an older Suzaku in his military uniform, performing a salute with the other soldiers that stand beside him.

~Onegai~

The screen briefly shows Nunnally with Sayoko, the Ashford Academy cast standing beside her in a field of flowers before Nunnally looks up in wonder as a shadow passes by alongside a gust of wind.

~Unmei sae nomikomare shizumisou na umi e to~

The camera shows the other Gundam Meisters in their respective places. Lockon stands over the graves of his parents and sister before walking away with a look of determination, passing his younger brother Lyle. Allelujah walks by Soma Peres in his casual clothes, the two not noticing each other, however when Allelujah passes by a glass window, Hallelujah grins evilly, learning at Soma. Tieria stands in an empty command center, looking at a screen before walking away, never faltering.

~Negai yo kaze no notte yoake no kane o narase yo~

The screen shows Exia, Kyrios, Dynames, and Virtue heading off into battle. Exia's feet grind against the ground as it twirls around, cutting three Sutherlands in half before the camera shows Lelouch glaring darkly at the fallen machines. It cuts over to Allelujah zooming over the Tokyo Settlement before Kyrios transforms and comes down, cutting a Sutherland in half. An explosion occurs, showing Kyrios standing in the crimson cloud menacingly.

~Tori no you ni My wishes over their airspace~

Dynames is seen sniping Sutherlands from the Saitama ghetto, Lockon grinning as he does so before the camera shows Virtue firing its beam cannon, evaporating every Sutherland in its path.

~Musuu no nami o koe asu e tachimukau anata o~

Lelouch is seen standing in front of Nunnally, a look of surprise over his face as the girl smiles tearfully, her hands overlapping his before another gust of wind shoots by, the flowers being wiped away and revealing a glass-like surface reflecting the azure sky.

~Mamoritamae My life I trade in for your pain~

The Ashford Academy cast is seen standing behind Nunnally, all of which with smiles on their faces before showing Cornelia and Euphemia alongside them, smiling at the scene in front of them. Guilford, Darlton, Jeremiah, and Villetta stand behind the two princesses quietly.

~Arasoi yo tomare~

In a span of a few seconds, Lockon is seen sitting atop Dynames' shoulder, giving a wink, Allelujah in the base of Kyrios' hand. His bangs part slightly, revealing his golden eye. The last quick image shows Tieria sitting in Virtue's cockpit, adjusting his glasses before looking fiercely into the camera.

~Mirai wa dare ni mo uchiotosenai~

The scene shows Lelouch tossing away his blue scarf into the air before the screen shows him in his Zero outfit, the Black Knights and the Gundam Meisters standing behind him with their respective Knightmares and Gundams standing behind them.

The final scene shows Zero's mask lying on a desk, Lelouch's scarf beside it alongside a cracked black King chess piece.

**Episode 5: The Man of Miracles**

Zero had to admit; this power he gained from that C.C. woman had really come in handy. All he had to do was look a soldier in the eye, activate this power, and viola, they would follow any order he gave them. He first made his way into the camera room, ordering the soldiers to erase the video feed for three hours, thus giving him time to do what he came here for. After that, any soldier he found, he would order them to leave the command center. From the times he used it, it appeared that whenever he used this power, the subject had no memory during the time the power was used.

In short, it was useful. Of course, every power had a prince, and this one was no better. 'If I recall correctly, Allelujah Haptism possesses a similar power.' Zero recalled his fellow Meister's special abilities, and the burden that came with it. 'So then, this is the power of Geass.'

Either way, regardless of the price that came with this power, he intended to make full use of it. Once he passed through a heavy-set metal door, much different from the others, he smirked underneath his mask. He had made a side trip to the power room, thus cutting off all electricity except for the speaker and broadcast system. He had uses for those later.

"W-who's there?!" a soldier cried out, some of them standing in front of Clovis protectively. The sniveling brat had grown quite a bit since the last time Zero saw him. His blonde hair had grown shaggier, his eyes much sharper, and his taste in clothes much worse. "Show us you're-"

The soldier got no farther than that when Zero slid back the visor on his helmet, and the Geass surfacing to his eye. "Die."

Instantly, the orders took hold of every soldier in the room. They developed a shimmering red ring around their irises before they developed mad grins on their faces. "Yes, you're highness!" they all cried, aiming their firearms at each other or placing the barrel against their temple or jugular. With one swift pull of the trigger, every soldier in the room fell to the floor, blood splashing everywhere.

Clovis recoiled, his eyes wide at the sight of the men who had just committed suicide. Zero stalked forward, removing a firearm from his holster and stepping over the corpse of a tanned-skin Britannian with a monocle. "Now then, unless you wish to join the fates of your comrades, Clovis la Britannia..." Zero said with a devilish smirk forming on his face. "I suggest you do as I say. That is, unless of course, you wish to die as well."

**~~~Code Geass: The Miraculous Birthday~~~**

Kallen felt sweat fall from her forehead as she ran past the searing flames that were engulfing the ghettos at a rapid pace. She had managed to at least deal some damage to that white Knightmare before it had lopped off her remaining arm and her head unit before she ejected, escaping while she had the chance.

"Kallen, in here!" Said resistance member stopped and looked to the right, seeing Ohgi and Minami beckoning her over. She complied immediately, ducking past the corner they were standing at and slid under the small shutter. As soon as they were all in, Ohgi closed it and placed a lock over it. "Man, we were worried about you..." Ohgi breathed a sigh of relief, his back hitting the shutter and slowly falling to the ground. "You okay?"

"Yeah, somehow." Kallen nodded before looking at the scene behind her. There were a number of innocent people inside this makeshift warehouse, most of them women and children. Despite the horrors that were occurring outside, many of them had looks of hope.

"Is it true?" one of the elderly asked one of the resistance members, ironically Tamaki of all people. "Is Celestial Being here?"

"Yeah, they sure are..." Tamaki grumbled. "Now shut up and sit down. You want these Brits to find us?"

"Enough, Tamaki." Ohgi ordered, standing back up after catching his breath. "We should at least thank whatever Kami did for us for sending them here. Whatever their reasons were, they helped save a lot of lives, and that's enough for me."

Kallen didn't say anything. She could still recall seeing the battle between that white Knightmare and the Gundam, which had been engaged in a fierce sword battle. She could only stare in awe at the sight, watching machine exchange blow after blow, steel grinding against steel, and fist meeting fist. She hoped that, one day, she could reach such a level, in hopes that she could fulfill Naoto's dream in freeing Japan from Britannia.

"I admit, I do feel kinda bad for using them like that..." Yoshida said, taking a swig from his canteen. "Still, did you see what that thing did? I know Mobile Weapons are top notch, but holy shit... That thing was brutal."

"Just comes to show how much people hate Britannia." Tamaki nodded in agreement. "Makes you wonder who'd win in a fight? That so-called Hannibal's Ghost or one of those Gundam things!"

"No bet." Sugiyama chuckled. "As terrifying as that guy is, he wouldn't stand a chance in hell against Celestial Being."

'I wonder about that...' Kallen thought, recalling the stories of the feared soldier in the EU. From what she heard, the infamous Ghost of Hannibal was an Eleven like her and the rest of them, but his brutality and strength were said to be nearly on par with even the Bear of Russia himself. If he were to go against someone like that pilot of the sword-wielding Gundam...

Kallen shuddered. That was a battle she didn't want to think about, for who knows what sort of hell could be wreaked around them.

As she removed herself from her thoughts, she looked at Minami, who's ear was pressed against one of the pads of the headphones connected to the radio, a look of shock all over her face. "Minami, what's wrong?" Kallen asked. Minami looked at Kallen and handed her the headphones. At first, she frowned, wondering what could have shaken her up so bad before pressing one of the pads against her ears.

And then she understood why Minami was so shocked.

"This is an order from the third prince of Britannia, Clovis la Britannia! You are to cease any and all activities within the Shinjuku ghetto! Stop this meaningless slaughter, at once! All military combatants should focus on tending to the wounded, regardless if they are Elevens or Britannians! You shall treat all casualties equally! I repeat, this is an order from Clovis la Britannia! Cease this fighting, at once!"

**~~~Code Geass: The Miraculous Birthday~~~**

"Splendid, Clovis la Britannia." Zero applauded his brother as Clovis took a deep breath, but a look of fear still evident in his eyes, staring back at him with a look of curiosity. After all, he had just threatened to kill a prince at gunpoint, and had even ordered every soldier in the transport to kill themselves. It would be natural for him to wonder who he was dealing with.

"I will take a guess and say you are the one leading these terrorists?" Clovis asked, swallowing the lump in his throat. "So then, tell me... who are you? You are not Eleven that much is for sure. You do not carry yourself the same way they do... You act like a corpse."

"A keen you have carry, your highness." Zero replied casually. "I have died once before."

"Is that so? Then tell me, what shall we do now? Play a game of chess?"

Zero smiled thinly. "Ah, chess... that brings back some memories, doesn't it?" Clovis raised an eyebrow, wondering what he meant by that. "We would always play that game when Schneizel or Cornelia refused to play with either of us, and yet I would always win, and you would throw a temper tantrum. You haven't changed since then... Clovis la Britannia."

"Y-you..." Clovis' eyes widened, panic settling over his face. "Answer me, who are you?!"

Zero removed his helmet and tossed it to the floor, stepping out of the shadows and revealing his face to his half-brother. "It has been a long time, hasn't it... Big Brother?"

Clovis nearly shot out of his seat on the throne, his eyes as large as softballs and his mouth agape in clear disbelief and shock. Zero smiled a demon's smile as he performed a mock bow that was done by many nobles and members of the Imperial Family, a fist placed over the right side of his chest and his leg kneeling on the floor.

"Eleventh prince and seventeenth heir to the throne, and eldest son of the late Empress, Marianne vi Britannia... Lelouch vi Britannia, at your service."

"W-what?" Clovis stuttered, falling back into his seat. "H-how can... I-is that you, Lelouch?"

"Indeed, brother. I have returned from the depths of Hell... in order to change everything."

For a moment, there was nothing but a cold, brief silence before Clovis cracked a nervous smile, sweat pouring down his face. "I-I'm glad to see you alive, Lelouch! I've been looking for you for so long! L-let us depart for the homeland, immediately!"

"And become a pawn in Charles zi Britannia's game?" Zero replied curtly, standing back up and aiming his gun at the blonde's head. "I don't think so. Besides... you and I need to talk." It was then that Zero receded from this world, and Lelouch vi Britannia returned. "You did quite a bang-up job in concealing my mother's murder, making it out to be nothing more but terrorists that had managed to bypass the Aries Villa's defenses, despite it being so heavily guarded."

"I-It wasn't me, Lelouch!" Clovis pleaded. "I swear, I didn't kill Lady Marianne! I loved her as if she were my own mother! You have to believe me!"

"Then tell me... who did the deed?" Lelouch demanded, his Geass appearing in his left eye. "By who's hand was she slain?"

As soon as the Geass took effect, Clovis' fear was gone, his body relaxed, and his hands, which had shielded themselves in defense, fell back to the armrests. "...I do not know who killed Lady Marianne." Clovis spoke with a calm and dead tone, as if he were not truly there. "Second Princess Cornelia li Britannia and Second Prince Schneizel el Britannia conduced a full-scale investigation into the Empress' murder. All that we truly know was that it was a Britannian who murdered Lady Marianne."

Lelouch narrowed his eyes. 'So, Big Sister and Big Brother are involved in this as well?' he thought briefly. 'Cornelia is currently in Azadastan, while Schneizel is combating the European Union forces... It seems I have a lot of work to do...'

Lelouch vanished, and with him, his hold on Clovis. As soon as Zero reappeared, Clovis' fear returned in a heartbeat, recoiling from the gun. "Please, you have to believe me, Lelouch! I didn't kill Lady Marianne, I swear I didn't!" he begged and pleaded with the same tongue he used to kill several innocent people. It made Zero sick, yet he hid it so well with a smile.

"I believe you..." he told his brother, who sighed in relief, his back slumping in his chair. However Zero pressed the gun against the prince's temple, making Clovis' eyes widen once more. "However, there are times when you have to get your hands dirty. Don't think too badly of me for this, Clovis la Britannia. I do this to make Nunnally's world a reality."

"And what would she think if she saw this now?!" Clovis shouted in desperation, hoping that he could somehow persuade his brother into letting him live. Sadly, however, this would never happen.

"She's dead."

Clovis' face paled, and his heart sank. "W-what...?" he squeaked out, his voice barely above a whisper. It was now that he saw his brother's face, and saw how empty and cold his beautiful eyes had become since he had last seen them. They no longer carried that luster that made him so well liked by all the other children in the Royal Family.

"She died during the invasion, when Charles zi Britannia declared war on Japan." Zero said coldly, the finger slowly squeezing the trigger. "She burned to death inside of a warehouse that we had been hiding in... and it was destroyed by one of Britannia's Knightmares."

"P-please, wait, Lelouch-"

And with that, the life of Clovis la Britannia had come to an end. His head smacked against the throne harshly, his eyes still wide and his mouth agape with foam now forming at the corner of his lips, blooding running down his face. Zero lowered his gun, looking at the man with little remorse. "Goodbye, Clovis la Britannia." he said as he turned sharply on his heel and slipped the gun into his holster, walking away from the corpse of the third prince of Britannia.

**~~~Code Geass: The Miraculous Birthday~~~**

"Splendid, Lelouch... simply spectacular!" the man roared in laugh, having watched the scene in C's World. He was a behemoth of a man, easily towering over the average norm with broad shoulders and a booming voice that resounded like thunder. "To think that you would kill your own brother, and without feeling a trace of remorse... You are worthy of being called my son after all! Yes, perhaps you can create the world Aeolia Schenberg envisioned! Show me! Show me how deep the darkness within you runs! Show me how much you have grown, Lelouch vi Britannia!"

**~~~Code Geass: The Miraculous Birthday~~~**

'Damn you for this, Lockon Stratos...'

"My name is Lelouch Dylandy. I've only just transferred here from the homeland due to some family troubles. It's a pleasure to meet all of you."

Zero did the best he could to hide his annoyance and irritation, thinking of all the ways he could kill Lockon without Celestial Being noticing. To say that the former prince of Britannia was annoyed would be an understatement. Thankfully, no one in this infernal place could see the tick mark that had appeared on his forehead.

"Thank you for that, Lelouch." the teacher nodded his head before searching around the classroom for an open seat. He spotted one right next to a boy with brown hair, wearing a white shirt underneath a sleeveless v-neck sweater, complete with a red tie. "You can take your seat next to Saji there."

The boy, Saji most likely, raised his hand to show where he sat. Zero nodded and walked past the rows of people, many of them staring at him. He supposed it was natural, as he was dressed in the school uniform. It wasn't much, except that it was a black blazer with gold trims and black slacks with a buttoned shirt underneath, though he wore a scarf around his neck.

"He's actually wearing the uniform?"

"I thought only the Elevens did that!"

"Geez, the guy looks so lifeless."

"Maybe he's from that one show. Ya know, Walking Dead or whatever its called?"

"Oooh, he's so cute!"

"He's so dreamy! Almost like a prince!"

'What in the world is up with these people?' Zero wondered, taking his seat next to Saji. 'The boys, I could understand, but the women here? They act as if they've never seen a boy before, despite so many sitting around them.'

"Uh, hey..." The Gundam Meister turned his head slightly to see Saji giving him a nervous greeting. "I guess we're neighbors now, huh?"

"...I guess."

Zero sighed and placed his chin on his hand, barely paying any attention at all to the lesson. It wasn't that he had been annoyed with school in particular; it was Ashford Academy that raised alarm bells. The Ashford family, a group of mid-tier nobles who, at one point, became good friends with his mother Marianne before she became apart of Charles zi Britannia's harem, founded the Academy. About a year or two before the death of his mother and his exile, they met with the Ashfords for a reunion. It was there that he met Milly Ashford, the very definition of trouble. He had immediately caught her eye, and made every attempt to try and go out with him.

In other words, she was just as bad as Kaguya Sumeragi.

It was his family connection to the Ashfords that raised problems. It was bad enough that he had gotten suspicious looks from the Principal when he arrived and went over his family registry, but one could have seen past the calm face Zero had put on that he was nervous. If they learned who he really was, then his cover would be blown. Thankfully, however, Lockon had been present with him, even offering a forged family photo. That erased some suspicion, but not clearly enough, as the old man asked Zero if he had a sister.

'If my identity is discovered, that will cause a lot of problems in the near future...' Zero thought, tuning out the lecture all together. 'Why did Sumeragi Lee Noriega choose to send me here, out of all the schools in Area 11? She's the only one, as far as to my knowledge goes, that is aware of who I really am. The Ashfords are a dubious bunch, they'll easily be able to see past any lie we throw at them, no matter how well conceived, if what Ruben Ashford asked me was any indication...'

Zero's fingers brushed against his left eye. 'Geass... the power of the King... According to that C.C. woman, it will condemn me to a life of solitude... However, I have already been living in that sort of world for the last seven years.'

**~~~Code Geass: The Miraculous Birthday~~~**

Flashback, after the death of Clovis la Britannia

Once Exia was docked within the hangar bay of Ptolemy, Zero removed himself from the cockpit, offering his hand to the green-haired woman. "I can get out just fine, thank you." C.C. said, not even bothering to take his hand and came out of her own, taking a leap and floating around in the air. "Zero gravity... This could take some getting used to."

Zero stared at her. "Don't think of causing trouble." he said with an icy tone. "One move, and I will kill you."

"A lot of people have tried, and succeeded, kiddo." C.C. shrugged her shoulders. "You killing me isn't really anything new. And you can't use that power of yours on me either."

"Because you were the one who gave it to me?"

"You catch on quick. But, that isn't primarily the reason."

"Hey, Zero!" Said Meister turned to see a familiar man waving at him with a grin. He appeared to be in his late thirties, early forties at the oldest, wearing an engineering suit with a pair of glasses sitting on the bridge of his nose. His hair was short and rugged, and carried a scruffy stubble on his chin. "Heard you got yourself a girlfriend! Nice job, by the way!"

Zero scowled, cursing Lockon and Sumeragi for this before choosing to ignore it for now and moved to where the maintenance crew was. C.C. raised an eyebrow, seeing that it consisted of floating balls with round floppy ears that kept repeating the same thing over and over again. Each had a different color, but the one that looked the most happy to see him was a black colored orb that rammed itself into the Meister's chest. "Zero! Zero!"

"Hey, Haro..." the boy greeted before allowing it to float back in the air. He turned back to the man, who's name was Ian Vashti, the one in charge of repairing any damage inflicted upon the Gundams. "Where's Sumeragi?"

"Waiting in the command room." Ian informed him. "She's waiting for you and the little miss there. By the way, you okay?" Zero frowned. "You look like hell more than you usually do. Did something happen?"

'I found my friend, who I thought had been dead for seven years, and he got shot because of me.' "No... Nothing at all." Zero told the man, though if the look he was given him was anything, Ian knew the boy was lying, causing him to sigh. He had known about Zero's admiration for the Gundam, having seen the 0 Gundam in the past during the invasion of Japan, but he also knew about his deep hatred for Britannia, and how far his brutality went.

"You know, if there's anything you need, let me know, alright?" Ian asked before saying good-bye to the boy, leaving with the group of Haros for the repairs.

Zero stared at the man's back before leaving with C.C. heading for the command room. As soon as the two entered, they were greeted by a series of looks and greetings.

"Hey, playboy, how's it hanging?"

"Did you at least use protection, Zero?"

"Wow, I thought Lockon was joking when he said Zero finally got himself a girlfriend."

"I'm beginning to think that having Lockon Stratos for his partner was a bad idea."

Zero felt a tick mark appear on his forehead, glaring at everyone with the exception of Tieria Erde, probably the only person who truly understood his ideals and goals, despite disapproving of his methods. Sumeragi grinned from ear to ear as she tossed the green haired immortal a can. "You drink?" the lecherous woman asked with a smirk.

C.C. undid the cap and took a whiff. "Hm... Vodka?"

"Best alcohol in the damn world."

"Not really. Gin's more my cup of tea, especially if you mix it with Tequila."

Zero groaned in sync with Tieria, both of them face-palming. Now they had two people who loved alcohol, and it was bad enough that one of them was their tactical forecaster. "So, who is she?" Allelujah asked, sensing the tension that was settling in the room.

C.C. removed her lips from her drink and took a good look at Allelujah. Like all the other Meisters, he wore an orange pilot suit, and his hair covered the entire right side of his face, hiding his bright yellow eye. Allelujah felt uncomfortable as the woman seemingly undressed him with her eyes before tilting her head and looked at Zero.

"You never told me you had someone from the Geass Order with you too, boyo."

Allelujah stiffened. "H-how did you..."

Zero sighed and looked at Lockon. "Lockon, for the next three minutes, do please keep your mouth shut."

"Eh? What are you-"

Whatever Lockon was going to say, he couldn't say it. Everyone besides Zero and C.C. stared at the sniper in shock, as he couldn't form a single word, only gags and grunts. Allelujah immediately recognized what he saw, and looked at Zero to see that his left eye had turned dim red with a familiar sigil wrapped around his pupil. "Zero... you have Geass now?"

Sumeragi's face turned serious as she looked at the boy with a dangerous look. Zero smirked underneath his mask. This was how a tactical forecaster should be, dangerous and easy to break down enemy strategies, not some drunkard. "Better start explaining."

"I was the one who gave him Geass, shortly after he found me." C.C. spoke instead of him. "Apparently, those terrorists thought I was poison gas, I were going to expose me to the world. Of course, you have your little temperamental Meister here to thank for getting me out of there."

"I see..." Tieria pushed up his glasses, looking at the woman with a foreign look in his eye. "Then allow to ask you this... How can you still be alive?" Everyone looked at him with confusion in their eyes. "I looked up the file she had mentioned. The woman that is standing before us is the co-founder of Celestial Being alongside Aeolia Schenberg."

Silence...

"WHAT?!"

C.C. giggled. "Tieria Erde, I presume? You're much more reserved than I thought you would be."

"I'm flattered."

"What is-how is that-I don't..." Sumeragi couldn't form the words, she could only gape and flounder as she stared at the woman, while Allelujah quickly regained his composure, and grimaced as he looked at the woman in both disgust and pity.

"You're like him."

It wasn't a question, it was a statement.

"Ah, so you're one of V.V.'s contractors. You have my sympathies for what you went through."

"Wait, V.V.?" Zero frowned, looking at the woman in confusion. "Do you know something else that we aren't aware of?"

C.C. sighed and slumped against the wall, sliding down to her rear and placing her knees against her chest. "This will take some explaining..."

And so she told them about herself, explaining that what she carried as something called a 'Code', the only means to gain both eternal youth and immortality. She had been around since the early years of Britannia, being a child of poverty before being taken in by a nun, and gained the power of Geass herself before she eventually gained the Code, thus living for an untold number of years. The one named V.V. was the leader of the Geass Order, the group that had done extensive research on Geass, as well as the ones who had granted Allelujah his 'gifts' and abilities, so to speak. V.V. had only gained a Code for about close to fifty to sixty years.

What she told them next was enough to leave the whole room speechless (as by this point, Lockon's 'Stay Quiet' order had disappeared.).

"You have got to be kidding..." Lockon scowled, anger flashing over his face while Zero's eyes burned with cold and unbridled fury.

"So, Charles zi Britannia is involved in this plan?" he asked, nearly hissing through his teeth.

C.C. nodded. "V.V., who in reality, is Vincent zi Britannia, is Charles' older brother. The two of them had created a plan to create a new world order, in which both humans, living and dead, would be reunited in a singular form. To do this, they need to connect a series of systems called Thought Elevators to establish what they call the Ragnarok Connection."

"Ragnarok?" Tieria frowned. "As in the Norse version of the Apocalypse?"

"Indeed. With the Ragnarok Connection, they would be able to use their so-called 'Sword of Akasha' to destroy the being you know as God."

"God?" Zero scoffed. "There is no such thing as 'God'."

C.C. smiled a strange smile. "How true, but I assure you, 'God' is quite real. In reality, he's just the collective subconscious of humans, which is basically a giant pool of all the thoughts and wills of human beings that reside in what is called C's World. I don't know the details myself, as only Charles and V.V., along with one other, were the only ones who knew its true nature."

Zero's fists clenched tightly, trying his best not to let his emotions rule him again. "Then you are in agreement with them?" he asked coldly. "Did you throw your bets in with them as well?"

C.C. gave the boy a look that said 'are you serious?'. "Boy, I helped Aeolia create Celestial Being, because I believed in the world he wanted to create. I only did that because I knew his goals would help me grant my wish."

"And what's your wish?" Lockon asked curiously. "For people to understand one another?"

"No." C.C. shook her head. "My wish is... something you will have to find out for yourself."

"Sumeragi Lee Noriega..." Tieria spoke after a long period of silence, turning to their tactical forecaster. "If what she says is true, then the Emperor is practically declaring war upon the world itself. All he requires now is the Thought Elevators that reside in the EU and in the Federation. Would this not make the entire Empire itself a target for Armed Intervention?"

"Whoa, slow down Tieria!" Allelujah advised. "This is a global superpower that's dominated one third of the entire world, and let's not forget the Geass Order. If we do focus all our efforts there, it won't be long before they get involved, and then we're all screwed. One of the people there can literally disrupt one's sense of time. If we caught in his Geass, we're screwed."

"Then what do you propose we do, Allelujah Haptism?" Tieria snapped back sharply. "Simply watch as Charles zi Britannia tries to force change upon this world?"

Sumeragi sighed, rubbing her forehead before looking at Zero, who had his arms folded over his chest while his head was dipped down, as if deep in thought. "You've been pretty quiet for a long while..." the tactical forecaster noted aloud. "Something up?"

It was then that he removed his arms and looked back at the woman, a gleam reflected in his eyes. Sumeragi immediately knew that she wasn't going to like this. "I believe I may have the solution to this little problem..."

**Turn 5...END**

**A revelation revealed, and a demon's anger exposed for all the world to see. Is it a righteous fury? An unjust despair? Or is it the howl of hatred that scorns this world? Salvation can only be granted to those who seek it.**

**Next Time, Zero**

**Ends Justify the Means...**

~~~Author's Notes~~~

I apologize for this crappy piece, as I'm sure many people were looking forward to seeing Zero rescue Suzaku's sorry ass, but because of work I have from Friday, this was all I could do. Thankfully, however, tomorrow is the big day! Expect a very lengthy chapter next time around! Now, unto the questions!

1) Rolo will appear in Zero Requiem, however he is not trying to kill Lelouch initially. His personal Knightmare is still the Vincent, which he stole from the military.

2) The Zero Requiem will take place four years after Miraculous Birthday, due to complications in regards to the storyline.

3) Depending on the reception, Akito may or may not be made a Gundam Meister. A poll will be posted sometime later.

4) Lelouch won't rely on his Geass very much through, unlike how he did in the anime and manga.

5) The Special Zone will still take place, but the massacre will not. That scene made me cry, it really did. However, let's just say there are some people that don't support this idea, the Trinities being one of them. I think you can guess where that goes /:

6) As to whether or not Lelouch will become a Purebred Innovator... Keep reading. I am not giving out this one.

7) Feldt Grace is not among the polls, as she is paired up with Neil. Lyle remains faithful to Anew.

8) Suzaku's going to be quite the dumbass until Zero Requiem that is very true. Of course, that won't mean he'll be that much of one. Watching Code Geass can make you really hate hypocrites and pacifists, huh?

Well, that's all for now! On a side note, I can't believe how many votes Kallen has gotten! Though, I do question why Shirley has so little. Is she not well liked or something? Or is it because Rolo kills her? I have plans regard her, as she'll help Zero regain his human emotions rather than them appearing whenever he gets emo. Show of hands, who here doesn't like emo Lelouch? XD

Well, until next time! Laters!


	6. Zero

**Code Geass: The Miraculous Birthday**

"All men... are not created equal." –Charles zi Britannia

_Celestial Being._

_They are a group that has declared that they will eliminate war from this world. Their founder, Aeolia Schenberg, who had lived 200 years ago, had created this group alongside the strange immortal woman known as C.C. With the sheer, overwhelming power of the Mobile Suit Weapons, codename Gundam, they have already begun their armed intervention._

_Among their numbers is Neil Dylandy, known as Lockon Stratos, master sniper and pilot of the Dynames Gundam. Allelujah Haptism, a child of experimentation granted with the power of Geass, and piloting the Kyrios Gundam with his superior aerial maneuvers. Tieria Erde, the first known Meister, wielding heavy-duty firepower with the Virtue Gundam._

_Also among their ranks is Zero, formerly known as Lelouch vi Britannia, the eleventh prince of the Holy Britannian Empire and seventeenth heir to the throne. With the loss of his childhood friend, Suzaku Kururugi, and his younger sister Nunnaly, who was blind and crippled after the death of his mother, he set himself down the path of carnage in his quest to destroy Britannia, holding to the belief that if one is to eliminate war, one must destroy Britannia as well, for they will always create war._

_Now, Zero is granted the power of Geass, like his fellow Meister Allelujah. Any who fall under the influence of his Geass are under his control for as long as they exist. It is said that the power of Geass will condemn one to a life of solitude and isolation. However, if one climbs out of this pit of despair, then they wield the righteous soul of a king._

_Play "Daybreak's Bells"_

_Artist: L'Arc-en-Ciel_

_~Music Playing~_

_The camera plays images of the invasion of Japan: Knightmares shooting past alleyways with rifles at the ready, the people cowering underneath windows and anything they can use to hide. When the piano plays, the camera shoots upward and shows the 0 Gundam with a beam saber at the ready, standing behind the orange tinted sky. The camera then plays out the Geass sequence, the title appearing afterwards._

_~Nee konna katachi no deai shika nakatta no~_

_The camera shows Lelouch standing amidst the rubble of the ghettos, looking at the scene before turning sharply around, walking toward the blue Gundam, Exia, kneeling behind him._

_~Kanashii ne~_

_As he moves past an alleyway, a girl with red hair, Kallen, comes out with Ohgi and Tamaki in their resistance uniforms, walking toward an abandoned building where a meeting is being held._

_~Anata ni shinde mo ayamete hoshiku mo nai~_

_The scene shows a young Suzaku backing away from the kneeling form of Genbu Kururugi, his stomach stained red with blood with a knife sticking out. The screen plays out like an old film before showing an older Suzaku in his military uniform, performing a salute with the other soldiers that stand beside him._

_~Onegai~_

_The screen briefly shows Nunnally with Sayoko, the Ashford Academy cast standing beside her in a field of flowers before Nunnally looks up in wonder as a shadow passes by alongside a gust of wind._

_~Unmei sae nomikomare shizumisou na umi e to~_

_The camera shows the other Gundam Meisters in their respective places. Lockon stands over the graves of his parents and sister before walking away with a look of determination, passing his younger brother Lyle. Allelujah walks by Soma Peres in his casual clothes, the two not noticing each other, however when Allelujah passes by a glass window, Hallelujah grins evilly, learning at Soma. Tieria stands in an empty command center, looking at a screen before walking away, never faltering._

_~Negai yo kaze no notte yoake no kane o narase yo~_

_The screen shows Exia, Kyrios, Dynames, and Virtue heading off into battle. Exia's feet grind against the ground as it twirls around, cutting three Sutherlands in half before the camera shows Lelouch glaring darkly at the fallen machines. It cuts over to Allelujah zooming over the Tokyo Settlement before Kyrios transforms and comes down, cutting a Sutherland in half. An explosion occurs, showing Kyrios standing in the crimson cloud menacingly._

_~Tori no you ni My wishes over their airspace~_

_Dynames is seen sniping Sutherlands from the Saitama ghetto, Lockon grinning as he does so before the camera shows Virtue firing its beam cannon, evaporating every Sutherland in its path._

_~Musuu no nami o koe asu e tachimukau anata o~_

_Lelouch is seen standing in front of Nunnally, a look of surprise over his face as the girl smiles tearfully, her hands overlapping his before another gust of wind shoots by, the flowers being wiped away and revealing a glass-like surface reflecting the azure sky._

_~Mamoritamae My life I trade in for your pain~_

_The Ashford Academy cast is seen standing behind Nunnally, all of which with smiles on their faces before showing Cornelia and Euphemia alongside them, smiling at the scene in front of them. Guilford, Darlton, Jeremiah, and Villetta stand behind the two princesses quietly._

_~Arasoi yo tomare~_

_In a span of a few seconds, Lockon is seen sitting atop Dynames' shoulder, giving a wink, Allelujah in the base of Kyrios' hand. His bangs part slightly, revealing his golden eye. The last quick image shows Tieria sitting in Virtue's cockpit, adjusting his glasses before looking fiercely into the camera._

_~Mirai wa dare ni mo uchiotosenai~_

_The scene shows Lelouch tossing away his blue scarf into the air before the screen shows him in his Zero outfit, the Black Knights and the Gundam Meisters standing behind him with their respective Knightmares and Gundams standing behind them._

_The final scene shows Zero's mask lying on a desk, Lelouch's scarf beside it alongside a cracked black King chess piece._

_**Episode 6: Zero**_

"I believe I have a solution to this little problem."

Sumeragi instantly knew that, whatever Zero had in mind, it was not going to be something that she would like. "Well, we're all ears right now, so let's hear it..." she sighed in resignation.

She could have sworn she almost saw satisfaction reflected in his eyes. "I suggest leading a rebellion against Britannia."

The whole room exploded.

"ARE YOU SERIOUS?!"

"ZERO, WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU THINKING?!"

"HAVE YOU LOST YOUR MIND KID?!"

C.C. actually seemed to be surprised by his words, while Tieria remained silent, his eyes locked on to his fellow Meister with a critical look reflected in his sharp orbs. 'So, you intend to go through with this after all...' the mysterious Meister thought.

"Zero, you know as well as the rest of us that you can't do that." Sumeragi replied, her eyes narrowing. "Celestial Being's goal is to eliminate war from this world. The very last thing we need is to turn into terrorists-"

"You can't be called a terrorist if you don't take innocent lives." Zero cut her off sharply. "During the Armed Intervention, I encountered a group of resistance fighters belonging to a half-Britannian named Naoto Kouzuki. The group has only targeted military bases and corrupted officials. If we could control them and lead them away from possible chances of them attacking civilian populated areas, then there would be no problem. They wouldn't be considered a target for Armed Intervention then, would they?"

The tactical forecaster looked pensive, biting her lip as she went through all the possible variables. While it was true, a rebellion would indeed make things easier for their future operations, she couldn't really see them not taking the life of at least one innocent person. It was apparent that Lockon shared her views as he spoke up, his voice suggesting that he was completely against it. "Bad idea, kid. Can you really say that you'll be able to control them? I mean, you didn't show them you're face, so what makes you think they'll trust you? You going to use Geass on them and make them follow you?"

It would be hard to miss the disgust that flashed on Allelujah's face. In truth, he had wished that Zero hadn't made that contract with that woman. Geass was a curse on this very earth, poisoning everything it touched and ruining the lives of millions. He knew this all too well.

Even now, he could still hear his friend's pleas as "he" pulled the trigger.

"If that is what it takes, so be it." Zero said in an almost dead sort of voice. "From the moment we set foot inside the Gundams, we already embarked on a path of no return. I will do whatever it takes to create a world without conflict, even if it means I have to slaughter every last Britannian that stands in my way."

His words caused a frightening chill to wash over them, while C.C. was looking more and more intrigued by her new contractor's actions. She had no idea that he was willing to go to such lengths to create Aeolia's world, but she knew there was something driving him, something that kept pushing him forward.

There was a long silence until Tieria spoke for the first time. "Then, do you have full confidence that you can control these resistance members and keep them on the path that Celestial Being follows?" he asked, earning looks of shock from everyone except Zero, who nodded.

"Tieria, are you telling me that you're actually okay with this?" Lockon asked, incredulous by what he had just heard. Was this actually happening? Obsessed and overbearing Tieria Erde, the Gundam Meister who eternally had a stick shoved up his ass, was actually for one of their own to lead a rebellion against Britannia? He was the one most devoted to Celestial Being and its goals, and to hear these words come out of the Meister's mouth was probably more shocking than learning about this Sword of Akasha business.

Tieria nodded and explained his reasoning. "If what Zero says is true, then the corrupted officials they target will turn their attention towards Honorary Britannians and Numbers, taking out their frustrations out on them. This would increase anti-Britannian propaganda, and in turn, give Celestial Being moral support. Best-case scenario, the Chinese Federation or the EU might settle their difference and agree to help each other. With any luck, they will do the work for us."

Whatever arguments anyone had, they were gone with the wind while Zero remained still, as if waiting for someone to oppose him. "However," the purple-haired Meister stated sharply, turning his attention back on Zero. "if we learn that, if any member of this little group of yours has taken the lives of any civilian or innocent man, then you will become a target for Armed Intervention."

"I am fully aware of the risks, Tieria Erde." Zero replied calmly. "The question now is... will everyone place their faith in me?"

Sumeragi sighed in exasperation while Lockon looked pained. Why wouldn't he? The boy he had tried to open up, to help regain who he used to be in the past, was following down a dark path, one that could possibly lead him and Lockon to be enemies. The boy, in the span of two years, had become like a brother to him, in the same sense as Lyle. The very last thing he wanted to do was find himself behind the trigger with Zero facing the muzzle.

While everyone seemed to agree with this plan... that didn't mean they had to like it.

**~~~Code Geass: The Miraculous Birthday~~~**

Back to the present, it was when class had ended that Zero, or rather, Lelouch Dylandy had begun to wander around the school, ignoring the stares of many people. Before anything else, he had to memorize the layout of the building and gather as much information as he could on the students. Some were children of high-ranking political officials and military leaders, others the kids of financial bigwigs. Every one of them was likely to follow in their parents' footsteps, which, in turn, would lead them into becoming targets for Celestial Being.

Lelouch had to admit, the Ashfords had given up a pretty penny for the security system, which was top of the line. He spotted several high-end cameras moving about, keeping a watchful eye-out for any possible threats while guards could be seen around the campus with batons and firearms, a means of protection against intruders. The locks were high-end as well, probably close to the highest level of security there was right now.

'Despite having lost their status as nobility,' Lelouch noted. 'the Ashford foundation has gained quite a large sum of money for this level of security. Could they have a financial backer of some sort? I do recall that there were a few who still supported the Ashfords, even after mother's death.'

"Aha, I found you!"

Lelouch stopped dead, his facing paling.

Oh no.

Oh, God, please no...

Slowly, Lelouch's head creaked around to see what could only be described as hell in the form a beautiful girl. She wore a light blue jacket with the sleeves rolled up over a white blouse, which came down to her knees. Her platinum golden hair fell down past her shoulders, and her eyes were a terrifying shade of blue.

However, the most unsettling thing about her was grin on her face.

'I am so screwed...'

**~~~Code Geass: The Miraculous Birthday~~~**

In the European Union, things had certainly gone to hell. Half of the entire city had been reduced to a crumbling state, Knightmares lying around everywhere, and corpses on the ground with looks of disbelief, shock, and even fear. The Knightmares were all modified Glasgows, capable of going against even a Sutherland in mint-condition, however there wasn't a trace of the enemy. The whole place looked as if it had been blown apart by a bomb.

Admiring the scene with a whistle was a young man with matching brown hair and eyes; his hair slicked back and dressed in a slim leather black suit with a skull motif. "Damn..." Ryo Sayama said with a grin. "I think you overdid it a little."

The one he was speaking to was young, dressed in a buttoned blazer and a pair of slacks, obviously a school uniform. He sat cross-legged on the ground with a computer in his hands, his fingers typing away furiously while a giant grin was on his face. "Hey, all's fair in love and war, right?" Yukiya replied casually before looking at the third member of their group. "You think I went overboard too, Ayano?"

Ayano Kosaka was a young girl wearing a white hoodie with a pair of denim shorts and boots, her black hair chopped unevenly at her chin, and her cold eyes surveying the scene. "No, I don't." she said in a monotone voice. "Personally, I think you should have blown all of it up."

Ryo laughed, throwing his head back. "That's really cold, you know that Ayano?" he said in a joking manner before grinning. "Though, can't say I blame you. These guys really were scum."

"Hey, what did you expect?"

Ryo looked over his shoulder, and gave out a devilish grin. This was probably the only guy other than his friends that he could actually get along with, and possibly just as insane as he was. He looked to be in his late twenties, wearing a torn, sleeveless red shirt with a ragged white scarf around his neck and camouflage pants, complete with heavy boots and a combat knife strapped to the back of his hip, along with worn black gloves. His hair was crimson and wild, as if he hadn't brushed it in all of his life, and had a large mass of facial hair at his chin, forming a beard. The most dangerous thing that came off of him was his eyes.

He looked ready to kill, regardless of who was in front of him.

"When it comes to war, it don't get any better than this." the man said with a grin, his hands on his hips. "And it gets a whole lot funnier when you add Celestial whatchamacallit into the whole thing. I've been waiting to go against those crazy sons of bitches, especially the one with the sword."

"You mean the one that tore up the military base?" Ryo asked. "I saw it. Have to say, don't think you could have served up chopped Knightmare better than that."

"Ain't that the truth?" the man replied, smirking as the two shook hands. "Still, been a pleasure doin' business with ya."

"I admit, I had my doubts about you at first, but after seeing that?" Ryo jabbed his thumb over his shoulder, pointing to what used to be one of the tallest buildings in all of the EU. It was now ruined and torn up, as if it had been at the center of a bombardment. "You truly do live up to your reputation as the Sultan of Satan."

"Flattery will get you nowhere." Ali al-Saachez said with a toothy grin. "Besides... I haven't even gotten started."

**~~~Code Geass: The Miraculous Birthday~~~**

He was so dead.

Out of all the people he had to run into, it just HAD to be the one person that could blow his cover, didn't it? "You, mister, are coming with me!" Milly Ashford stated with a grin, her arms folded over her chest. Lelouch could feel sweat beginning to pour down his face. Maybe he could run away? Use his Geass, maybe?

'No, dammit, that won't work...' Zero realized, catching a camera out of the corner of his eye. 'If I use it, there's a chance someone will notice it. I can't risk anyone finding out about me or Geass.' He did an audible gulp. '...fine, let's get this travesty over with.'

"And where are going, pray tell?" Lelouch Dylandy asked, relaxing himself from his earlier panic attack. Milly seemed to be pleased with his actions and grabbed him by the wrist, pulling him along. Lelouch tried to ignore the pitying stares the students were giving him, and he knew why they were giving him that look. This woman was the closest you could get to devil incarnate.

Once they arrived at their destination, Milly had practically kicked down the doors, surprising everyone inside the room. "Okay everyone, I have brought the new member! You may all start bowing down before me in praise!" Milly announced with a grin, shoving Lelouch in front of her.

There were five people inside the room, Saji Crossroad being among them. The first was a girl wearing a pink v-neck underneath a white blazer and a dark red skirt. Her hair was autumn orange while her eyes were a dark shade of green, possibly the loveliest shade he had seen. The second was a boy with dark blue hair spread out all around, wearing a buttoned shirt with the sleeves rolled up to the elbows, complete with a pair of sleek black leather shoes and gray khaki slacks. The third was another girl with dark green hair tied into two separate braids, glasses sitting on the bridge of her nose, wearing a white turtleneck sweater and black slacks. Lelouch noted that she was more focused on her computer than anything else. The last of them was another girl who sat next to Saji at the table, wearing a pink jacket over a blue shirt, complete with a black skirt and a bag slung over her shoulder. She had long blonde hair that fell past her shoulders, and her eyes bright noble blue.

"Uh... pleased to me you..." Lelouch greeted before looking at Milly. "So, to what do I owe the pleasure of having the granddaughter of the head of the Ashford family drag me around like a piece of accessory?"

The girl with the blonde hair smiled. "He seems normal enough." she remarked before looking at Saji. "I thought you said he acted like a zombie."

The autumn haired girl sighed, rubbing the back of her head before bowing in apology. "I'm terribly sorry for the president's behavior." she said, putting on a gentle smile. "My name is Shirley Fenette, I'm the Student Council's historian."

"Louis Halevy, regular member of the Student Council, like Saji here." the blonde girl said, jabbing her thumb at Saji, who scratched the back of his head in embarrassment.

"Sorry about all of this."

"Hey there, new guy!" the boy with blue hair said with a smile as he hopped over the table and walked over to Lelouch, offering his hand. "The name's Rivalz Cardemonde, I'm the treasurer. So, is it true you're some kind of zombie?"

"Lelouch Dylandy." Zero greeted before shaking his head. "And no, I am not a zombie, as you put it. I just find life to be lacking is all."

"Nina Einstein." the girl at the laptop said before turning back to the screen. Lelouch sweat-dropped, noting that she seemed to be worse than Tieria Erde when he first met him.

"Good, now that introductions are out of the way..." Milly announced, puffing out her chest with her hands on her hips. "Let's get this party started!"

Lelouch frowned, turning around just in time to see Milly pounce on him. "W-what the hell do you think you're doing!" he cried out, struggling as he tried to get out of her grip. "Unhand me this instant!"

"Rivalz, go get the rope!" the she-devil said, looking up at the treasurer with a grin that made Lelouch's face go pale. 'What the hell does she need rope for?!' he thought, panicked and not looking forward to what was about to happen. "Saji, get the chair! Louis, Shirley, grab the paint! Nina, go grab the costumes!"

"Dammit, you crazy woman, let me go!" Zero screamed at the top of his lungs. "Someone?! Anyone?! HELP ME!"

'I swear, I'll get you back for this Lockon!' Zero's inner chibi wailed around with tears flowing.

Elsewhere, Lockon Stratos sneezed, nearly falling out of his chair. "Somebody talking 'bout me?"

**~~~Code Geass: The Miraculous Birthday~~~**

It was when Kallen returned to school that she noticed that the entire school was in an uproar. She could see several students talking to each other, mentioning something about a transfer student that had apparently been subjected to one of the Student Council President's 'introductions'. She immediately felt sorry for the poor bastard, having heard just how horrible they were.

Still, a transfer student? At a time like this?

"Oh, Kallen!" Turning around, Kallen put on a smile as one of her real friends at Ashford ran up to her. "When did you get back?"

"Just today, actually." Kallen told Louis, nodding her head before the two walked through the halls and unto class. "So, how've you been?"

"I should be the one asking you that, since you get sick so easily." Louis huffed. "And to answer your question, it's been horrible! Yesterday, our class got that transfer student, Dylandy I think his name was. As soon as the pres hears about him, what does she do? She decided to make him a member, and without his consent! I mean, sure, it's nice she made him Vice-President, but seriously? God, I don't think I'd ever heard such a high-pitched scream coming from a guy."

Kallen giggled as she slid open the door, entering the classroom and taking her seat behind Crossroad, who looked exhausted. "You okay, Saji?" she asked, though she could probably guess why he was so tired, as he was a member of Student Council as well. "Let me guess, Milly?"

"Yeah..." Saji sighed. "I feel sorry for Lelouch. I wouldn't be surprised if he chose to skip school."

"Lelouch?"

"Yeah, Lelouch Dylandy." the Honorary Britannian nodded in confirmation. "He's the transfer student. Up until he was dragged around by Milly, he was practically lifeless, kind of like a zombie or something."

Kallen's mind was occupied with other thoughts. A transfer student the day after the Shinjuku ghetto incident? Was it possible that the transfer student was-

She shook her head. 'No, couldn't be. I'm thinking too much... Ohgi was right, I need to relax and lay low. If it weren't for Louis, I think I would have gone insane from how boring and humiliating this place is.'

There wasn't a person around that hadn't heard of the heiresses of the Stadtfeld and Halevy family. Even if Louis was half-Britannian, she was very well liked, and it wasn't just because of her looks and personality. Kallen could hardly tolerate the school until she met her, the two easily bonding. She also got along well with Saji, despite him being an Honorary Britannian.

Of course, there was one other person she could get along with, but that was for whole other reasons. Speaking of which, now that Kallen looked around, she didn't see him anywhere. "Where's Suzaku?" she asked curiously.

Louis shrugged. "Military duties, I guess. He's been worked ragged these past couple days. I hear that the whole Shinjuku thing was a complete mess..."

Kallen didn't say anything, offering only a grimace. She still couldn't believe what had happened. What in the hell did they think they were doing, killing innocent people just for some so-called 'urban' renewal? If she didn't know how cruel the Britannians were, she definitely knew now.

And yet, every time she thought back to that day, she didn't see corpses lying on the street, holding their loved ones for dear life as they were knocking on death's door, nor did she see Sutherlands at every corner, about to shoot them down.

All she could see was that Gundam in its full glory, slicing down every Sutherland like a man on a mission, leaving nothing to chance. Truly, it was the very epitome of strength and power, worthy of its status as a Mobile Suit Weapon. She had always desired that level of strength, not for simple reasons such as revenge, but to protect the people that she cared about...

To protect the only family she had left.

Kallen was absorbed in her thoughts, so she barely noticed a face she hadn't seen before take his seat next to Saji. "You okay?" said Honorary Britannian asked, only to flinch when the boy gave him a death glare. "I... guess not..."

"Oh, come on Dylandy, it wasn't that bad!" Louis huffed, crossing her arms. "Seriously, lighten up! Keep up that attitude, and you'll never get married!"

'So, this must be the transfer student.' Kallen thought, eyeing him carefully. The only thing that stood out besides his purple eyes and his scarf was that, like Suzaku, he wore the uniform with the jacket open. However, as soon as Kallen's sapphire irises bore into his purple orbs, she immediately came to a complete halt, and her eyes widened.

His eyes were just like his: cold, empty, wailing with rage and despair. What she saw were not the eyes of some teenager or stuck-up Britannian: what she saw were the eyes of a soldier who had experienced first hand the pain of losing a loved-one, and had taken a life.

'Could he really be...?'

**~~~Code Geass: The Miraculous Birthday~~~**

Zero looked at Kallen from the corner of his eye, taking notes on the teacher's lecture to uphold his image as a student. 'That girl...' he thought, recalling what had happened inside the truck that had been hijacked by the Kouzuki resistance cell that was being led by a man named Kaname Ohgi. 'I recognize her... she's the one who was piloting that Glasgow.'

It didn't make any sense. He had his reasons for defying Britannia, as they had stripped him of his mother, his best friend, and even his sister, but a Britannian girl fighting against her own country? 'I can't use Geass on her out in the open, too risky.' Zero thought, eyeing the cameras before catching a spot that wasn't being observed. 'If I can move her out there and away from her friends, then...'

Using his Geass, he decided to see if he could control animals and insects with his power. Using a nearby bee, he gave a simple command to get the girl named Kallen away from her friends and into the open space. The command appeared to take affect, as it buzzed around Kallen and her friends, scaring them off while forcing Kallen into the only blindspot in the entire security system.

If Zero didn't know she was that same girl from Shinjuku, he certainly did now, as she swiped the bee away with a quick strike. "Dammit all, I am sick of acting like a total invalid!" the red-haired girl hissed, taking a large bite out of her sandwich before noticing Lelouch standing there. 'Her military skills are average at best, considering they're a simple bunch of terrorists, but her physical skills are impressive, to say the least.' the Meister noted absent-mindedly before stepping forward.

"Did... you want something?" Kallen asked, uncertain as to whether or not he had heard her. The instant she made eye contact with him, Zero activated his Geass.

"Answer my questions."

Kallen's body went stiff, her expression and body language becoming lax, and her eyes developing red rings around the iris, all of which signs of the Geass taking effect. "Of course."

"Tell me, were you the one piloting the red Glasgow back in the Shinjuku ghetto?"

"Yes." Kallen answered in a casual tone of voice.

"But why? Aren't you a Britannian as well?"

"My mother is Japanese, thus I am a half-breed."

Zero's eyes widened in surprise? A Britannian half-breed with Japanese blood in them? Now that was a new one, even for him. He hadn't heard of anything like that, though he supposed it was common for something like that to happen, provided the Britannian in question was decent.

"I see... but why go so far?"

"They killed my older brother, Naoto."

The instant he heard that, Zero's heart clenched and his hands ball into fists. 'So, even she lost someone she cared about...' he thought bitterly. 'Why is it that humans always try to strip someone of the one thing that can truly make them happy?'

With that, Zero released his hold over the girl, not deciding to press further into the matter. The rings vanished, and Kallen looked a bit startled. From what he gathered, the subject didn't recall what had happened before, during, and after the effects of Geass were made clear, likely due to the fact that it affected the nervous system directly. Truly, it was going to be of great use to him in the coming days... provided he kept it under control.

"No, I have everything I need." Lelouch told her flatly, turning on his heel as he left. Kallen frowned, wondering what that was about before she saw him look over his shoulder. "But, just to be safe..." Zero activated his Geass again. "Don't tell anyone about Shinjuku."

To his shock, Kallen didn't gain any of the symptoms of Geass being used, rather a brief look of shock splashing over her face before looking confused. "What do you mean by that?"

'What? It didn't work?' Zero thought, shocked that the order didn't sink in. 'Is it possible that that it can only be used once on a single person? That's a rather annoying restriction.'

"Nothing, just go back to class." Zero told her, about to turn back around to leave, only to be grabbed by the wrist.

"Not until you tell me what you mean by that!" Kallen told him. Zero hid his scowl, about to grab the knife he had hidden in his sleeve and dispose of her before noticing that Shirley, the historian from the Student Council, was leaning out the window.

"Heeeey, Lulu!" the autumn haired girl bellowed, causing the boy to freeze for a moment. He had been called that name before... back when he was still nothing but a child. "If you don't hurry, you'll get in trouble! Science class is going to be starting soon!"

Sighing, Zero slipped the knife back into his sleeve and left Kallen behind, thinking of all the possibilities of how to deal with her. Then a thought struck him, leaving behind a grin on the process.

It seemed the world would know him soon enough.

**~~~Code Geass: The Miraculous Birthday~~~**

Jeremiah Gottwald had never felt so frustrated in all of his life, not since he and the other guardsmen had launched a full-scale investigation in regards to the murder of the late Empress, Marianne vi Britannia. He still couldn't believe what he was reading. "Bartley and several other officers within Prince Clovis' personal transport killed themselves?" he read aloud, reading it over again as if doubting what he read. "Is this report accurate?"

"Yes, that is the official report from the autopsy, Lord Jeremiah." Villetta Nu stated, looking a bit disturbed herself. "It still boggles the mind how someone could have infiltrated the prince's transport, much less somehow command the officers in the room to shoot themselves in the jugular."

Jeremiah nodded in agreement, tossing the papers on the desk and sighing, running a hand through his hair. "At this rate, the Purebloods will be discredited. We'll have that Britannian reporter release an official announcement, though we'll keep this detail out for now."

"Actually, regarding the murderer, Lord Jeremiah..."

The Margrave sighed. "We haven't caught him yet. We can always say that we executed him privately, or perhaps state that he took his own life to repent for his actions."

"That wasn't what I meant." Jeremiah raised an eyebrow as his knight handed him a file. Wondering what was inside, he opened it to see a few papers with a photo attached, revealing a young man with brown hair and green eyes. "I think I found the perfect scapegoat."

Jeremiah read the name, and nearly did a double take. "Kururugi? As in, Genbu Kururugi? The late Prime Minister of Japan? This kid is his son?"

Villetta nodded. "He became an Honorary Britannian two years after Area 11 had been established, and since then, his family has cut off all ties with him. He's a Private in the military now, and he was also the pilot of the experimental 7th-Generation Knightmare Frame used in the special engineering corps funded by Second Prince Schneizel during the Shinjuku ghetto incident."

Slowly starting to see where this was going, Jeremiah chuckled. "I see why you suggest we use him. If we tell everyone that the killer was an Honorary Britannian, and even better, the son of the Prime Minister of Japan, then we could eliminate the Honorary Britannian system in one go... This is brilliant, Villetta!"

The dark-skinned woman smiled, performing a small bow. "I do to please, Lord Jeremiah. Moving away from the topic at hand, has there been any report in regards to Celestial Being?"

"No, none as of yet..." Jeremiah admitted, sighing deeply. He had practically been sweating bullets when he saw that monstrosity cut down Oliver with a single strike. Truly, the Mobile Suit Weapons were terrifying. "I doubt that we can keep this out of the news, considering how much research has been done by the news. They found out that the leader of this group was the Father of the Knightmare, correct?"

Villetta nodded. "Aeolia Schenberg, credited as the one who provided the schematics for the Knightmare Frame, as well as the one who proposed the theory of solar power. It isn't surprising that he would be the one to found such an organization, as he spoke out against the Civil War and even began a petition to bring an end to it."

"Still, to think it would be someone from over 200 years ago..." Jeremiah muttered. "I wonder who could be piloting that Gundam from Shinjuku? The number of people capable of piloting an MS Weapon are even lower than the machines themselves, so it just begs the question."

"Is it possible it could be a Number?" Villetta offered. "It is possible."

"No." Jeremiah shook his head. "I could tell from the way he fought. The pilot... was a Britannian."

**~~~Code Geass: The Miraculous Birthday~~~**

"This is exactly why I hate Britannians..." Kallen muttered as she scratched her head further, rubbing the shampoo in deeper.

It all started after Milly had entered the classroom after school, wanting to speak with her about her time at school. At first, the half-Britannian panicked, wondering if the famed she-devil had learned about her activities as a resistance cell members, only to find out that the woman wanted to invite her into the Student Council, as it was required for a student to join at least one club during their time here.

Of course, Kallen joined, mostly due to the insistence of Louis, as the blonde was jumping in joy upon hearing the president's offer. Of course, it all went downhill went that idiot by the name of Rivalz brought out a bottle of champagne, knowing full well that they weren't allowed to drink. Shirley, if Kallen remembered that was the autumn haired girl's name, tried to snatch it away from him, only for Rivalz to toss it to Lelouch.

The moment he caught it, the cork popped off, and the contents spilled all over her. Suffice to say, Kallen was not happy. It was very likely that she would castrate Rivalz Cardemonde when she returned. As she poured soap into her hand and began to scrub her skin, she heard a knock at the door. "Stadtfeld, you decent? It's me, Dylandy."

The red-haired girl's eyes widened, as she had expected one of the girl's to come and drop off her clothes and not a boy. Realizing it was probably Milly, she cursed and responded. "The curtain's drawn."

The door opened and closed behind him. She could see over her shoulder that Lelouch looked a bit startled to see her through the curtain before he moved to the counter, placing her clothes there. "Halevy said you could borrow hers, don't ask me why they asked me to do this." Lelouch told her.

Kallen sighed. "It's probably Milly's idea... Say, why did you move here to Area 11?" Truth be told, she had been curious wondering why he had transferred in the first place. The idea of him being Zero was still fresh in her mind, ever since she saw how dead his eyes were, a common look in the eyes of people who have killed. She looked up the name 'Dylandy', and had found an article from about thirteen years ago regarding a terrorist attack from some Middle-Eastern group. The incident claimed several lives, and among the survivors was a boy named Neil Dylandy. According to what she read, he had a younger brother, but very little was revealed about him.

If he despises terrorism as much as his brother, then the probably of him being a member of Celestial Being increased. Thus, she wanted to get the answer straight from him.

"I came here because of problems between me and my brother, Neil." Lelouch explained to her. Kallen's eyes widened when he mentioned that name. So then, he really was... "He refused to move on from our parents' deaths and spent most of his life trying to find out who was responsible. You can't bring the dead back, no matter what you do. You have to move on with your life, otherwise you'll be stuck in the past. You can't change the world, no matter how hard you try. It's impossible..."

Kallen felt her fists tightened. Was he basically saying that her brother died for nothing? That she should just move on and accept what happened at face value? Who the hell did he think he was?!

"Well, if that's all..."

"Wait!"

Kallen's eyes widened when she yelled that. It took her a moment to reign her emotions back in check before she decided to get some answers. "Can you grab my purse for me?"

"Whatever."

She saw his silhouette move away from the counter and slipping his hand past the gap in the curtain. As soon as his wrist was within view, she wrapped her hand around it in a vice-grip, the grip so hard it forced him to drop the purse. "Answer me... were you the one in Shinjuku?" she demanded, slowly bending down to pick up the purse.

"I don't have any idea what you're talking about." Lelouch replied calmly, raising her suspicions further. "You mind letting me go?"

'Not until you give me some answers...' With a quick press of one of the small buttons on the pouch, a small knife emerged from one of the slits. If her identity was ever discovered, this was how she would handle it. "You mentioned Shinjuku the other day. Why?" she pressed for answers, the knife slowly edging closer to his form.

There was a tense silence before the sound of a telephone rang. "If I don't answer that, someone will come in here." Lelouch told her. "I'm sure you wouldn't want anyone to waltz on in and see what's happening here, especially Milly, right?"

Shuddering from the mere thought, Kallen loosened her grip somewhat, allowing him to ease out and grab the phone. She could see through the gap that his face was perfectly calm, and his eyes revealing nothing. "Hello, Ashford Academy, Dylandy speaking... No, this is... Oh."

He held the phone out for her. "It's for you. He says he knows you."

Frowning, or possibly wondering if this was some kind of trick, she placed the knife on the small dent behind her and took the phone from him. Slowly, she placed the phone against her ear, and carefully said into the speaker, "Hello?"

"Glad to see you're still alive, Q-1."

Kallen's eyes widened, snapping over to Lelouch. He was facing away from her, but his lips hadn't moved at all. Besides that, his wrist was still in her hand. "Tomorrow, after school, come to the Tokyo Observation Bay. Alone. It's time I upheld my end of the bargain."

The phone line went dead. Kallen let go of Lelouch's wrist and grasped the phone tightly. "Hey, wait! How did you manage that ceasefire?!"

"Ceasefire?"

Kallen froze. Shit, she had forgotten he was still here! 'He wasn't that Zero person after all... but...' Her doubts had yet to resolve from her mind, but Lelouch hadn't been speaking at all since she took the phone from him. Besides, it was completely impossible to do that. There was no way...

"Let me guess, something online?" he asked curiously. Kallen breathed a mental sigh of relief, putting on a sheepish smile. "Y-yeah, because I get sick a lot."

"Well, it isn't really any of my business. By the way..." he glanced over at her, but his eyes remained at her face. "You do realize I can see you, right?"

Kallen's eyes widened when she realized that, when she had whirled around and grabbed the phone with both hands, the cord had pulled the curtain back, revealing her naked form to him. Immediately, her face turned as bright as her hair and squat down, hiding her assets with her arms. "Relax, I didn't see anything." Lelouch said as he walked away from her. "Well, see ya."

With that, he opened the door and left, shutting it behind him. Kallen looked over her shoulder briefly before looking down, her thoughts still lingering. 'If he isn't Zero, then... why does he have the same kind of eyes I do?'

**~~~Code Geass: The Miraculous Birthday~~~**

Zero couldn't help but grin as he tapped his ear, speaking quietly into the small speaker on his scarf. "That will do, Haro."

"Haro! Haro!"

It was so simple getting the phone records from the office, a bit too easy for his tastes. Still, it worked like a charm. Kallen's suspicions had been absolved for the time being, but it was likely that she still suspected him to some degree. Recording his voice and then replaying it with Exia was nothing short but child's play. Now, all the pieces were set...

When Lelouch entered the main hall, he saw that all the members of the Student Council had horrified looks on their faces, especially Louis and Saji. "What the hell is going on?" Saji asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

"T-there's gotta be some kind of mistake!" Louis cried out sharply. "There's no way he's responsible!"

Frowning, Lelouch moved closer to see that an announcement was being held on TV, a familiar man with teal hair and orange eyes standing on a podium with several others standing behind him, all of which dressed in the garments of the Purist Faction. 'So, they've decided to go through with the announcement, have they?' he thought, smirking darkly underneath his scarf. 'Love to see who they decided to use as the scapegoat.'

Once the announcement was over, it flashed over to a news anchor with papers in hand. "This just in, the one responsible for the death of his highness, Prince Clovis, as well as several other officers, has been found and arrested." As soon as they showed who the Purists had chosen, Zero's eyes widened in sheer horror. 'Oh no.. Oh, God, please no...!'

On the screen was Suzaku Kururugi, his face bruised, and his attire matching that of a prison uniform. "The suspect has been identified as Suzaku Kururugi, an Honorary Britannian, formerly an Eleven. I repeat, Honorary Britannian Suzaku Kururugi, arrested for murder!"

Zero's fists clenched tightly, blood being threatened to be drawn as his purple orbs glared hard at the screen and at the soldiers who had punched him for trying to speak out.

'They're going to pay for this...'

It was time for the Gundam Meister to make his public debut.

_**Turn 6...END**_

_**There is no turning back. The die has been cast. Your resolve has been made.**_

_**Next Episode, Conflicting Beliefs**_

_**Which would you choose? Change by force? Or change from within?**_

~~~Author's Notes~~~

The next chapter will DEFINITELY include Zero's big entrance! Celestial Being ain't happy with his suggestion, but hey, whatever works. Not much to say here, other than onto the questions!

1) Tieria is probably the only person besides Lockon who is close to Zero, unlike his tsundere nature in 00. I felt a need of change, as Lelouch wants to make Aeolia's world a reality because its the same sort of world that Nunnally would want.

2) Nina will be how she is in the manga. To be honest, I found her fear of Japanese to be kind of racist. She'll still revere Euphie as a sort of goddess, however.

3) Suzaku's going to receive a huge wake-up call during and after the events of Lake Kawaguchi.

4) Believe me, Zero's big secret is going to be revealed. The Black Knights are gonna be floored, Diethard in particular.

5) I do intend to add Rai from Lost Colors, however whether or not he should join the Britannian military or the Black Knights is up for debate. I do not intend to have him act as a Gundam Meister, however. The roster is full enough as it is.

6) I said Setsuna wouldn't be making an appearance until R2. I said nothing about Soran Imbraghim~

7) I can't say anything in regards to Neil Dylandy. He's in his early twenties, so the fact that people receive the feeling he's a teenager is well grounded.

8) Soma Pieres will appear in the story, if her appearance in the opening sequence wasn't any indication. She'll still be affiliated with Sergei, but her past is sort of similar to Rolo's in a way.

9) I believe the question as to whether or not Saachez would appear has been answered.

10) Zero is probably going to be the closest you can get to a living-breathing demon when the Trinities appear. Rule Number 1: Do Not Piss Off Lelouch vi Britannia!

Well, that's it. See you around next chapter! Btw, Persona 4 Arena: Ultimax is coming out tomorrow! I'm so excited! Suffice to say, updates will be as slow as hell for the next couple of weeks. Sorry~


	7. Conflicting Beliefs

**Code Geass: The Miraculous Birthday**

"When somebody wins, the fighting will end." –Lelouch vi Britannia

_Celestial Being._

_They are a group that has declared that they will eliminate war from this world. Their founder, Aeolia Schenberg, who had lived 200 years ago, had created this group alongside the strange immortal woman known as C.C. With the sheer, overwhelming power of the Mobile Suit Weapons, codename Gundam, they have already begun their armed intervention._

_Among their numbers is Neil Dylandy, known as Lockon Stratos, master sniper and pilot of the Dynames Gundam. Allelujah Haptism, a child of experimentation granted with the power of Geass, and piloting the Kyrios Gundam with his superior aerial maneuvers. Tieria Erde, the first known Meister, wielding heavy-duty firepower with the Virtue Gundam._

_Also among their ranks is Zero, formerly known as Lelouch vi Britannia, the eleventh prince of the Holy Britannian Empire and seventeenth heir to the throne. With the loss of his childhood friend, Suzaku Kururugi, and his younger sister Nunnaly, who was blind and crippled after the death of his mother, he set himself down the path of carnage in his quest to destroy Britannia, holding to the belief that if one is to eliminate war, one must destroy Britannia as well, for they will always create war._

_Now, Zero is granted the power of Geass, like his fellow Meister Allelujah. Any who fall under the influence of his Geass are under his control for as long as they exist. It is said that the power of Geass will condemn one to a life of solitude and isolation. However, if one climbs out of this pit of despair, then they wield the righteous soul of a king._

_Play "Daybreak's Bells"_

_Artist: L'Arc-en-Ciel_

_~Music Playing~_

_The camera plays images of the invasion of Japan: Knightmares shooting past alleyways with rifles at the ready, the people cowering underneath windows and anything they can use to hide. When the piano plays, the camera shoots upward and shows the 0 Gundam with a beam saber at the ready, standing behind the orange tinted sky. The camera then plays out the Geass sequence, the title appearing afterwards._

_~Nee konna katachi no deai shika nakatta no~_

_The camera shows Lelouch standing amidst the rubble of the ghettos, looking at the scene before turning sharply around, walking toward the blue Gundam, Exia, kneeling behind him._

_~Kanashii ne~_

_As he moves past an alleyway, a girl with red hair, Kallen, comes out with Ohgi and Tamaki in their resistance uniforms, walking toward an abandoned building where a meeting is being held._

_~Anata ni shinde mo ayamete hoshiku mo nai~_

_The scene shows a young Suzaku backing away from the kneeling form of Genbu Kururugi, his stomach stained red with blood with a knife sticking out. The screen plays out like an old film before showing an older Suzaku in his military uniform, performing a salute with the other soldiers that stand beside him._

_~Onegai~_

_The screen briefly shows Nunnally with Sayoko, the Ashford Academy cast standing beside her in a field of flowers before Nunnally looks up in wonder as a shadow passes by alongside a gust of wind._

_~Unmei sae nomikomare shizumisou na umi e to~_

_The camera shows the other Gundam Meisters in their respective places. Lockon stands over the graves of his parents and sister before walking away with a look of determination, passing his younger brother Lyle. Allelujah walks by Soma Peres in his casual clothes, the two not noticing each other, however when Allelujah passes by a glass window, Hallelujah grins evilly, learning at Soma. Tieria stands in an empty command center, looking at a screen before walking away, never faltering._

_~Negai yo kaze no notte yoake no kane o narase yo~_

_The screen shows Exia, Kyrios, Dynames, and Virtue heading off into battle. Exia's feet grind against the ground as it twirls around, cutting three Sutherlands in half before the camera shows Lelouch glaring darkly at the fallen machines. It cuts over to Allelujah zooming over the Tokyo Settlement before Kyrios transforms and comes down, cutting a Sutherland in half. An explosion occurs, showing Kyrios standing in the crimson cloud menacingly._

_~Tori no you ni My wishes over their airspace~_

_Dynames is seen sniping Sutherlands from the Saitama ghetto, Lockon grinning as he does so before the camera shows Virtue firing its beam cannon, evaporating every Sutherland in its path._

_~Musuu no nami o koe asu e tachimukau anata o~_

_Lelouch is seen standing in front of Nunnally, a look of surprise over his face as the girl smiles tearfully, her hands overlapping his before another gust of wind shoots by, the flowers being wiped away and revealing a glass-like surface reflecting the azure sky._

_~Mamoritamae My life I trade in for your pain~_

_The Ashford Academy cast is seen standing behind Nunnally, all of which with smiles on their faces before showing Cornelia and Euphemia alongside them, smiling at the scene in front of them. Guilford, Darlton, Jeremiah, and Villetta stand behind the two princesses quietly._

_~Arasoi yo tomare~_

_In a span of a few seconds, Lockon is seen sitting atop Dynames' shoulder, giving a wink, Allelujah in the base of Kyrios' hand. His bangs part slightly, revealing his golden eye. The last quick image shows Tieria sitting in Virtue's cockpit, adjusting his glasses before looking fiercely into the camera._

_~Mirai wa dare ni mo uchiotosenai~_

_The scene shows Lelouch tossing away his blue scarf into the air before the screen shows him in his Zero outfit, the Black Knights and the Gundam Meisters standing behind him with their respective Knightmares and Gundams standing behind them._

_The final scene shows Zero's mask lying on a desk, Lelouch's scarf beside it alongside a cracked black King chess piece._

_**Episode 7: Conflicting Beliefs**_

Kallen could barely keep her anger in check as she heard over the PA about how Britannia's success over defeating Japan had 'opened the unenlightened nation's eyes and showed its true place in the world'. This was just one of the many thing she hated about Britannia, and she'd do everything it took to free the nation that her brother worked so hard to free.

As she walked past an exhibit showing old-fashion Samurai armor, her thoughts went back to the phone call she had received. 'This Zero...' the red-haired beauty thought with a curious gleam reflected in her eyes. 'He used Celestial Being's appearance in the ghetto to his advantage, which means that he knew about the presence of that white Knightmare. That means he has allies within the military. Is it possible that his is a trap?'

It wasn't a possibly she could rule out. The idea of him being a double agent was high, possibly trying to gain their trust, and then hand them over to the military. However, when she recalled how he acted, she quickly realized that the possibility was shot down. How could he have known that Celestial Being would appear? And how did he learn about the poison gas? Was it possible that Zero was a member after all?

'I'll just have to wait for him to contact me again...' Kallen sighed. 'Still, Tokyo tower? Why here of all places? Its crowded, and someone could see us?' Her eyes flicked over to three people standing not far from what she was, 'admiring' a portrait of someone committing Senpaku. 'At least Ohgi and the others came, just out of caution... We know next to nothing about him, and yet...' She felt her hands slip to her arms, a small shudder spreading through her body. 'His voice sounded so cold, almost like ice... And the way he talked about Britannians... His hatred for them runs even deeper than ours...'

Even though he spoke over a radio, she could feel the hatred that burned in his voice, which contradicted how smooth and cold his voice was. For some reason, Kallen couldn't help but wonder what had happened to this Zero figure for harboring such overwhelming hatred for Britannia... not that she couldn't understand it. In fact, she was sure there were many who sympathized with him. Britannia had made many a person's life a living hell.

The more she wondered who Zero was in reality, the more she began to wonder about what made him that way. She barely heard a woman's voice call out for her over the PA System, saying that they had her phone. She quickly doubled check to see if she had hers, and indeed it was there. 'Must be a drop-off...' she noted before making her way down to Lost and Found.

The clerk at the front gave her the usual routine smile and handed it over to her. The phone was actually the latest model and top of the line, with her name and school written on the back. That had actually worried her, if this person knew who she really was and knew she went, then...

She shook her head. For now, she would just have to play along. Still, why Tokyo Tower of all places? A person could easily be found here if one actually tried to look, plus the observation deck with its binoculars could find a person in no time flat... provided they weren't hiding in buildings. "Oh yeah, life is better since Clovis became Viceroy..." Ohgi pretended to be the loyal Honorary Britannian he'd rather die than become, a strained smile on his face. "I mean, it's because of him that we were able to rebuild this quickly, right?"

Kallen nearly snorted at that. 'More like demolish if you ask me...' she silently muttered before she felt the phone in her hand begin to vibrate. Looking at the ID caller, it read "ZERO". She quickly placed it to her ear and nodded and Ohgi, who was standing by a pair of binoculars. "Hello?"

"Take the next train inbound for Osaka. It's time we meet."

The line didn't end, but the voice of Zero remained silent. She turned to Ohgi, who shook his head. It seemed that Zero covered up his tracks well, but it seemed as if he also knew about Ohgi and the others coming along as well. There weren't instructions for her to meet with him alone, but out of precaution, Ohgi, Sugiyama, and Minami came with.

She took a quick look around the deck, but spotted no one around with a cell in their hand. Was it possible he spotted her beforehand and moved to a safer location? Either it seemed like she was going to get answers. Kallen and the others left the Observation Deck and moved quickly to the station. Considering that neither was far part from the other, she supposed that it made sense for him to choose this location. He could quickly move about between locations fairly easily.

The moment they boarded the train, she knew something was off. She spotted several passengers, each car more packed than the other, but they were all the same. They didn't budge or look up, they all had their hands on their laps and their heads lowered, and those standing up were as still as a statue. 'What in the heck...?' She nearly jumped when she heard Zero's voice appear once again.

"Face forward and turn the right. What do you see?"

'Is this some kind of damned test?' she wondered before complying. She saw Tokyo, a proud city that was reduced to nothing more but a sham filled with infestation. Crimes, drugs, violence, everything thrived in that hellhole. "I see the Britannian Settlement, stolen from us and built upon our sacrifices..."

"And on the left?"

She turned to the left. Kallen grimaced when she saw buildings crumbling and decayed, the streets cracked and the people in rags. "I see our city, what used to be a lively place left to rot once the Empire sucked it dry."

"Splendid answer. Now, meet me at the front car. It's time." Zero told her before he finally cut the line. Kallen looked at the phone with a frown before nodding to Ohgi and the others, moving past the people on the train. She was still a bit spooked by their behavior, not a single one of them moving. Even when she had bumped into one of them, they never moved or reacted. When she saw their eyes, all she could see was... nothing. They're eyes were glazed over, bearing no emotions whatsoever, but the most disturbing thing about them was that they had red rings around their irises. 'Could it be... some kind of hypnosis...?'

It would make sense. If Zero felt that a spy or something could compromise their meeting, he would control them through commands and tell them not to move, or even react to anything. Still, she wondered what kind of hypnosis left those red rings in their eyes.

Once they arrived in the front car, she immediately saw him. "Are you Zero?" she asked cautiously, taking a careful step forward. Though his back was turned to the group, she saw that he wore a long black cloak of some kind, the tails splitting into two and reaching down to the heels. She also saw that he was wearing some kind of purple suit beneath it with gold tailings.

"Hey, answer us!" Ohgi shouted, growing anxious as he looked over his shoulder, wondering why no one was moving at all. Surely they would be suspicious about what was going on.

Just as Kallen was about to stomp up to him and demand answers, the man she assumed to be Zero whirled around to face them the moment the train entered a tunnel. The light that had illuminated them previously was gone, now replaced by a dim darkness that only added to Zero's mysterious appearance. Kallen unconsciously took a step back, taking in his form with a sense of dread.

The cloak he wore hugged his body tightly, overlapping and coming around as if they were a pair of wings, carrying a high collar that curved around the back of his head. He was indeed wearing a purple suit, also carrying a white cravat at the neck, overall giving him the appearance of some kind of bat. However, what startled her was the mask he had on. She had expected something simple like a paper mask or a porcelain face, instead it was a metallic black mask that bore no facial features save for the purple orb and the gold tailing beneath it, the most prominent feature about it being the five prongs that sprouted from the back of its head, giving it the appearance of a crown of some kind.

"**I trust you enjoyed my tour?"** Zero asked, his voice cold and mechanical. His posture was calm, confident, and overall, terrifying. Kallen knew from the instant he spoke that, if he wanted to, he could kill them all right here and now.

"Your... tour?" Ohgi asked, confused by what he meant while Minami and Sugiyama looked at each other in doubt.

"Come on, there's no way it's this joker." Sugiyama said in doubt before shutting himself up when Zero began to speak once again.

"**I wanted you to grasp the difference between the two."** Zero stated, stretching his left arm outward with the palm opened, as if reaching out for something. **"The Settlement,"** His right arm this time. **"And the ghettos."**

Ohgi stepped forward, eyes burning with anger. "We know the difference... and it's a harsh one." Kallen felt her eyes droop down to the floor, her thoughts lingering on her brother. "That's why we resist them!"

"**Hmph, how naive..."** Kallen's eyes widened as she looked at Zero in both anger and shock. Did he just call them naive? **"Do you truly believe that Britannia will fall to such childish nuisances?"**

His words caught her ears. 'Fall?' she wondered, confused. 'Does he mean... defeat Britannia?'

"You calling us a bunch of kids?!" Minami growled, about to strike Zero before Ohgi stopped him, giving him a warning glance. Kallen understood why. Zero was a complete unknown, having never seen him before, but it was clear that he was dangerous. The fact that he was able to form such complex strategies and even managed to use Celestial Being to their advantage. Clearly, he wasn't a man you wanted to deal with unless you had a death wish.

"**Britannia commands enormous power, thus to them, what you do is nothing but an insignificant gnat in their face."** Zero spoke harshly, though Kallen heard absolute anger expressed through his voice. It seemed that her guess about him being a victim of the cruelty of Britannia was correct after all. **"However, the battle you wage is a righteous one. Rather than wage war against the innocent, take up your blades against Britannia itself! It is they who must suffer the consequences of their actions! Take up your swords, and fight for justice!"**

If not for his earlier remark, Kallen would have been spell-bound. "You only say that because it's easy to hide behind a mask!" she shouted angrily, her fingers curling up and forming her hands into fists.

"Yeah, she's right!" Sugiyama nodded in agreement.

"Lose the mask!" Minami growled.

Ohgi looked hesitant for a moment, as if pondering about Zero's words before speaking up again. "Look, Zero, we owe you our lives for saving us and everyone back in Shinjuku. We also owe our thanks to Celestial Being for stepping in when they did. But, if you want us to trust you, then please... show us your face."

Zero gave a chuckle, as if he had expected them to say that, but he made no move to rid himself of the false facade he wore. **"Very well, but instead of my face, I shall show you my power."** Kallen frowned when she heard him say that. What did he mean by, showing them his power? **"If I deliver to you the impossible, then perhaps... I may have earned your trust."**

**~~~Code Geass: The Miraculous Birthday~~~**

"Suzaku Kururugi murdered Prince Clovis! He should be treated as a hero!"

"He's a god-damn traitor to his own kind! He became a damned lapdogs!"

"And he killed a member of the Imperial Family!"

"So what?! The bastard gave up Japan! The people don't know that about him!"

Despite the words being tossed around, Kyoshiro Tohdoh remained silent; his prized sword lay before him while his eyes stayed shut, seeing only the calming darkness. Ever since the announcement regarding the death of Clovis la Britannia, all of the Japan Liberation Front was tossed into complete disorder, one side saying that they should rescue Suzaku while the other demanded that they leave him to hang.

However, Tohdoh was preoccupied with other thoughts. 'Celestial Being...' he thought, the images of the blue Mobile Weapon known as a Gundam fresh in his mind. 'They declared that they shall erase war from this world... However, it is obvious that the ones who command their tools have not thrown away their personal feelings. That Gundam with the blade... It's rage was carried through its kills and movements. It is clear that the one who pilots that Gundam truly hates Britannia for all it is worth.'

"The ones who repelled the Britannians in Shinjuku was one of ours, right?" General Katase, a well-aged man with light gray hair asked the man in front of him, Lieutenant Kusakabe.

Kusakabe nodded. "Yes, it's a small resistance group led by a man named Ohgi. Apparently, the took advantage of Celestial Being's 'Armed Intervention' and used them to cut down Britannia's fighting strength."

Katase said nothing, rather he dipped his head in thought before turning to Tohdoh, who finally opened his eyes, revealing sharp orbs with unwavering conviction. "Tohdoh... what do you think about all of this?" he asked, genuinely wondering what their plan of action would be. He knew the boy was a student of Tohdoh, so he decided to call him out on his personal feelings.

However, the answer was as he expected. "We should not become involved with this public execution." Tohdoh stated calmly and firmly.

Kusakabe looked at him in utter disbelief. "That's cowardice! You're Kiseki no Tohdoh (Miracle Worker Tohdoh)!"

Tohdoh did not budge an inch. "There is a difference between miracles and foolhardiness."

**~~~Code Geass: The Miraculous Birthday~~~**

Suzaku did his best to ignore the chants and screams of the Britannians around him, his face focused solely ahead of him. Two Sutherlands flanked the transport on both sides while a third, piloted by a dark-skinned woman with long silver hair stayed at the back. The man who had called Suzaku out on being the murderer, Jeremiah Gottwald, was right up at front with a smug smile on his face, his Sutherland leading the way.

'All of this, just to showcase Britannia's superiority...' the Honorary Britannian thought sadly. 'They don't want the truth, or justice... they just want to show the world the might of their authority... Is this really how the system works?' He couldn't stand it. Not one bit. 'If by some miracle they realize that I wasn't the one who murdered the Viceroy, then I'll do whatever it takes to change them... I CAN make them see that there's no reason for them to fight!'

'Plus...'

He winced, recalling a girl confined to a wheelchair and a boy with unmatched wits.

'I want to make a world... where they can be happy again.' Suzaku thought, his green eyes burning with desire. Up until he met those two, he always thought that all Britannians were stuck up and evil, that they didn't care about anyone but themselves. However, if he could bring people like them into the light, then perhaps Britannia could be changed for the better. He wished-

Suzaku silently shook his head. 'No... I have to do it... For their sake, if not my own.'

As he was swimming in his thoughts, he felt the transport come to a halt. Frowning, he looked around to see the soldiers tense with their eyes focused up ahead of them, and saw some kind of grin on Jeremiah's face, one hand holding a gun. Straining his eyes, Suzaku looked past the Sutherland, and promptly felt his jaw fall to the floor. 'Is that... Prince Clovis' transport?!'

**~~~Code Geass: The Miraculous Birthday~~~**

"What the heck?" Louis said as she saw a familiar vehicle move forward, stopping just right in front of the Sutherland at the very front of Suzaku's transport.

Saji blinked, staring at the screen in utter disbelief. "Hold on, isn't that... the prince's car?"

"But, hold on..." Rivalz frowned, folding his arms over his chest. "Didn't the prince die? So then... why is someone driving his car?"

Milly said nothing, but she watched the screen with interest while Saji and Louis looked worried, wondering what this meant for Suzaku.

**~~~Code Geass: The Miraculous Birthday~~~**

Kinue didn't know what to think. Like Saji, she knew this trial was nothing but a set-up meant to display what happened to people that went against Britannia, but at the same time, she also knew that this was also to eliminate the Honorary Britannian system completely. Once that happened, she and Saji would be sent to the ghettos, leaving behind their friends and colleagues. Somewhere deep in her heart, she wanted something to happen, something that could prove Suzaku's innocence. The boy was practically like a second brother to her.

However, when she saw a familiar white vehicle begin to pull up in front of the transport, she saw a familiar gleam run through Diethard's eyes. "What's going on?" she wondered briefly before turning her attention back to the feed they were receiving from the cameras.

**~~~Code Geass: The Miraculous Birthday~~~**

Jeremiah was both overjoyed and furious. The joy came from the fact that some idiot was trying to save Suzaku Kururugi's life, like he had expected, while the fury came from the fact that someone was using the prince's car to do it. "You dare desecrate his highness' transport?!" he shouted, aiming his gun at the driver. It was a woman from the look of it, wearing sunglasses with a hat that obscured most of her red hair.

However, he seen realized that he was aiming the gun in the wrong place when the Britannian flag was reduced to smoke and ash in a mere instant, revealing a new figure, one that would challenge the entire Empire of Britannia.

"**People of Britannia, I am... Zero!"**

**~~~Code Geass: The Miraculous Birthday~~~**

"He's using his codename?" Allelujah wondered, watching the supposed trial through the monitor in the main room. The only ones present in the room were him, Sumeragi, and Tieria. Lockon was back on Earth, though it was likely he was watching the scenes unfold with both disgust and worry. "That isn't a smart move."

"This is his decision." Sumeragi said, though the Meister of Kyrios could easily tell that she was just as worried as the rest of them. "All we can do... is watch over him to the end."

Tieria said nothing, but if one looked closely, they could see the look of anxiety and worry displayed behind his spectacles.

**~~~Code Geass: The Miraculous Birthday~~~**

"Zero?" Diethard wondered aloud. "As in, what, nothing?"

"First Celestial Being, and now him..." Kinue muttered. "What's happening to this world?"

**~~~Code Geass: The Miraculous Birthday~~~**

Zero observed the scene through the mask. The man in front, Jeremiah Gottwald, looked confused for a moment before he regained his composure, and readied his gun. Three VTOL's flew above them, each harboring a Sutherland in its grasp. Suzaku looked astonished and stunned by the events, and the crowd was in complete silence and worry. Kallen was fidgeting in the seat, her hands trembling. He had assured her that there was nothing to fear, and that he would guarantee their safety personally. Of course, he had no intention of using Exia for this operation.

'Suzaku, don't worry...' he thought, the emotions of Lelouch vi Britannia seeping through the small cracks. 'I will return the favor.'

"I've seen enough, Zero!" Jeremiah scowled and aimed his gun into the air. "The show's over!" With a pull of the trigger, a bullet went flying into the black sky. The Sutherlands hiding in wait fell down to the Earth with a thud, all of them aiming their rifles at him. Kallen was growing even more terrified by these events, her body now shaking in her seat. "Now, why don't you take off that mask, you filthy Eleven?"

Zero smirked beneath his mask as he made his hand move to the mask, the fingers brushing up against the cool metal before whipping it into the air, and snapping his fingers. Immediately, the cargo holder behind him fell apart, revealing what was the worst possible scenario for the Purist Faction. Jeremiah's eyes widened, his face going pale while Suzaku tried to tell the truth, only to be silenced by the collar. 'That's right, Jeremiah...' Zero thought in victory. 'You never saw inside of this, thus, to you, this contains poison gas!'

"Y-you bastard...!" Jeremiah seethed, his fists shaking and his knuckles going white before he lowered his gun. "Very well, what are you demands?"

**~~~Code Geass: The Miraculous Birthday~~~**

Kinue couldn't believe what was happening. At first, it seemed as if the man was going to be gunned down, only for him to reveal some kind of device. Judging from its appearance, she guessed it was a canister of some kind. "Wait, could it be poison gas?" she wondered, recalling what transpired in Shinjuku. "How in the world could he have...?"

"Charles, bring up the sound!" Kinue jumped when she heard Diethard do a complete 180, his eyes focused solely on the masked individual named Zero. "Get that camera in his face!"

"S-sir, it's too crowded!"

Diethard scowled and grabbed a nearby camera. "Amateurs!" he muttered before running out the van and into the street.

"R-Reed, wait!" Kinue shouted after him, pushing through the crowd as she tried to catch up with him.

**~~~Code Geass: The Miraculous Birthday~~~**

"**Simple, this for Kururugi."** Zero told Jeremiah of his offer.

The answer was obvious. "Like hell I will! He's responsible for the murder of Clovis la Britannia, a member of the royal family! There's no way I'm handing him over!" Jeremiah told him, his eyes burning in rage. Zero couldn't help but chuckle at the man's stupidity. He must have been focused on trying to find the perfect scapegoat rather than trying to discover the identity of the one who murdered Clovis. Oh well, not like he was going to hide it anyway.

"**Wrong, Gottwald."** Zero said sharply, bringing the eyes of every person in attendance on him. **"He's no killer. The one who murdered Clovis..."**

**~~~Code Geass: The Miraculous Birthday~~~**

The moment Kinue and Diethard reached the street and past the crowd, she saw Zero's eyes fall upon Diethard. Her breath stopped, and her body went still. From this vantage point, the man was even more intimidating than on camera. However, it was what he said next that truly made the entire world stop.

"**WAS ME!"**

**~~~Code Geass: The Miraculous Birthday~~~**

Saji's eyes widened, his mouth in the shape of an 'o' while Louis took a step back, her eyes as large as softballs. "D-did he just say what I think he just said?!" the blonde Britannian halfer asked in shock. "He's the guy who killed Clovis?!"

"Then, does that mean that Suzaku is innocent?!" Rivalz asked in complete panic, looking at everyone in the room. "Then why was he put on trial?!"

Milly grasped her arms tightly, her mind shifting to only one person who could pull this off. 'So, it really is you...'

**~~~Code Geass: The Miraculous Birthday~~~**

Suzaku wondered if his hearing had finally been shot to hell. No, it wasn't, he had heard the man say it clearly as he possibly could, his voice loud and speaking over the confused voices of the masses. Standing in front of him... was the man who killed Clovis. 'So... you're the real culprit?' he thought, his hands balling into tight fists.

**~~~Code Geass: The Miraculous Birthday~~~**

In another part of the world, Alejandro watched the trial with explicit interest, his eyes flickering in the dim light of the fire while he wondered if the appearance of Zero was yet another sign of the reformation of humanity. Ribbons, however, was unable to hide his triumphant smile as he watched Zero in his full glory declare his ambitions to the world. He hadn't made the wrong choice in allowing this boy to live: in fact it was the best thing that could have ever happened.

"You are every inch the man I had expected you to be, Lelouch vi Britannia." Ribbons said in a hushed tone, his purple orbs flashing bright yellow with streams of light running towards the pupil. "Then again, that is why I chose you..."

_**Turn 7...END**_

_**There are those who fight, and there are those who pass by. There are those who use force, and there are those who use words. The world is on the verge of change, but fate has chosen to warriors: One who stands by the blade, and one who stands by the shield. Is this world twisted? Or is it the people of the world that are the twisted ones?**_

_**Next Time, The Cursed and the Exiled**_

_**Which is a worse punishment? One who was commanded to die? Or one who is forced to prove the meaning of his existence?**_

~~~Author's Notes~~~

People, rejoice for I have returned! Unfortunately, this will, most likely, once again my last chapter for a while as I am going on a trip for the next few works. I do apologize, but it's family matters, and I place family above all else. Also, I will have two more stories posted, one involving an alternate setting of Miraculous Birthday with a Kira-like Lelouch, and another story that was born from collaboration between brave kid and myself. We hope you enjoy it. Also, please tell me what you think of my other story, Fractured Reality.

No questions for today, so that is all for now. Also, big thanks to those who continue to support me! I shall strive to meet your expectations!


	8. Notice

Hello everyone. Sorry to disappoint you all, but this is not Demons Anarchy of Pride, rather his older sister. The reason I am writing this is to let you all know that my little brother won't be able to update for a very long time, and for good reason… he got shot.

It happened yesterday when he was out grocery shopping for us when some mugger came up on him. Luckily, his friend was there, but when the bastard looked like he was about to shoot him, my brother jumped in and got shot in the shoulder. The doctors say that his arm could be permanently paralyzed, but they're still sure. My brother always dreamed of being an author, and writing fan fictions was his biggest thrill. He told me all about the reviews and comments each of his stories received, and he loved every second of it. Sure, there were a few that bugged him, especially that one story concerning something about a Demi-fiend or whatever its called, but he still enjoyed it.

Anyway, he asked me to write this and inform all of you guys. Until then, I've been asked to keep an eye on his account. Plus, there's also this story project he's had in his head, and wants me to work on it. To be honest, it's a crossover fanfic, but one of the anime/game's it crosses over with is kind of, for a lack of better word, horrible. I fucking hate Persona.

Oh well, considering that idiot saved his friend's life, don't have much of a choice. Sorry to disappoint all of you guys. Take care of yourselves.


	9. I'M BACK! sort of

Hahahahahaha! I'm back! I'm back in action! check out my profile to see my latest story! OWCH!

...guess I should have said my arm still feels like shit. my sis will still be working on my stories, but for now, my latest story is just a sort of preparation for rehab. This is gonna be fun, and for now, please tolerate my sister!

Once again, I say this: Demons Anarchy of Pride is BACK FROM HELL!


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